ICSA president Sean McNamara has said that low-income drystock and tillage farmers cannot be sacrificed in the rush to secure the nitrates derogation or in any other policy decisions. Speaking after a meeting with Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris, and Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon, held in Government Buildings today, he said, “The survival of family farms must be the test of every government policy - from CAP and nitrates to trade and TB control.”

 Continuing, Mr McNamara said, “The new twist linking the derogation to the Habitats Directive is deeply concerning. We now face a situation where over 100,000 non-derogation farmers could be dragged into restrictions that were designed to solve problems elsewhere. Nobody is against getting another derogation - but the real question is: at what cost, and what impact on drystock farmers?”

 Mr McNamara said that CAP funding must remain ringfenced and directed squarely at frontline food producers. “Despite some recent improvement in prices, the beef, sheep, suckler, and tillage sectors continue to struggle with very low incomes. It is essential that CAP supports are not diluted or siphoned away but used to sustain viable farm businesses in these vulnerable sectors. Food security depends on it.”

 On the importance of generational renewal, Mr McNamara said, “We need policies that support those who wish to enter farming, but we also must look after those who are exiting or retiring. If older farmers are left behind or excluded, renewal will stall. A balanced approach that respects both generations is the only way to secure a sustainable future for Irish agriculture.”

 On trade, Mr McNamara said, “The Mercosur deal represents nothing but downside for Irish farmers. It is reckless to even contemplate flooding the EU with beef produced to standards far below our own. The Government must deploy every diplomatic lever to stop this deal in its tracks.”

 On TB, Mr McNamara said that while we await a final plan from the Minister, changes to the TB Eradication Programme are expected. “Fairness must be at the heart of any new plan. It cannot just be about expecting farmers to do more - while they struggle to survive.”

 Concluding, Mr McNamara said, “Government must recognise the survival of low-income sectors as a national priority and that policy cannot continue to erode viability. Every decision on nitrates, CAP, trade, and TB must pass one simple test: does it keep family farms on the land, or drive them out of business? That is the standard by which farmers will judge policy.”