ICSA National Treasurer Denis O’Callaghan has said he is appalled at suggestions in recent commentary in The Irish Times that farmers are to blame for rising grocery prices. “It is beyond ridiculous to suggest that farmers are profiteering in the current cost-of-living crisis. Farmers have no control over the price we receive - those prices are imposed on us by processors and buyers. We either take it or leave it, but we cannot dictate it. To imply otherwise is to fundamentally misunderstand how the food chain works,” he said.

 Continuing, Mr O’Callaghan said, “There is a limit to how much information the CCPC can obtain from supermarkets, and indeed from meat processors. Without full access to pricing and profit data along the chain, it is impossible to get a true picture. I have personally provided evidence to the CCPC over many years of unscrupulous behaviour by some supermarkets. This is not a new issue, but it is why ICSA will continue to work with the office of the Agri-Food Regulator, pushing for the powers it needs to compel disclosure and remove the smoke and mirrors from the food chain.

 What the CCPC data does show, however, is that Irish food prices fell more or less consistently for 15 years before 2022. This is the direct opposite of trends across much of the EU. The recent increases are largely a short-term correction after years of depressed prices at farm level, not evidence of farmers cashing in.

 Blaming family farms might suit certain vested interests, but it distracts from where real scrutiny is needed - in the processing plants and supermarket boardrooms. If the Government is serious about fairness and transparency for both farmers and consumers, it must give the Agri-Food Regulator the power to pull back the curtain on the entire supply chain and deliver real transparency. This cannot come quickly enough.”