ICSA president Sean McNamara has said that the stark figures released today by Teagasc in the National Farm Survey 2023 must serve as a wake-up call to how dire the situation has become for Irish farmers. "The figures on farm incomes for 2023 are alarming and should make consumers, the government, and the European Union (EU) realise just how serious the difficulties are that Irish farmers are experiencing," he said.

While all sectors experienced significant income drops, the results show that the already low-income beef, sheep, and suckler sectors have been hit hard. Beef finishers saw their incomes drop by 19% to €14,735, sheep farmers faced a 22% decrease to €12,625, and suckler farmers saw their incomes fall by 15% to just €7,425.

Mr McNamara said that Budget 2025 must start the process of providing the additional support needed to sustain low-income beef, sheep, and suckler farmers and keep them in business. "As part of our Budget submission, ICSA has called for substantial increases in funding for the National Beef and Sheep Welfare Schemes. As they stand, these schemes are failing the farmers who rely on them most to supplement their incomes and need to be radically reformed.

In addition, beef finishers need financial assistance in Budget 2025. ICSA has proposed introducing payments for rearing dairy calves and for finishing cattle earlier. It is unacceptable that this sector is repeatedly overlooked, and this budget must rectify that."

Mr Mcnamara also said that tillage farmers, who have faced a 71% drop in their incomes, need immediate income support. "The Minister's commitment to pay €100/ha for crops planted in 2024 is not nearly enough to stop the decline within the sector. ICSA has proposed a €250/ha, five-year payment for tillage farmers."

Beyond Budget 2025, Mr. McNamara said, "The CAP budget must be significantly increased to ensure the sustainability of food production, let alone food security. Why would any young person want to dedicate themselves to farming when they can see the harsh reality of what they will receive in return?"