Farmers Encouraged to Shop Around for Key Inputs
IFA Farm Business chair Bill O Keeffe has encouraged all farmers to shop around for best rates on key inputs. His comments come after the IFA Farm Business Committee undertook a survey of prices available nationwide in the last week. “We felt as a Committee we had to look at costs inputs nationwide this spring […]
Staffing Crisis in Horticulture Sector Must be Addressed
IFA Horticulture chair Mark Walsh said the increases in staff costs over the past few months are enormous and have left the horticulture sector in an unsustainable position. “It has been a relentlessly difficult period for the sector, from Brexit; the Covid pandemic; spiralling input costs from the Russian invasion of Ukraine; and now unexpected […]
Cost Pressures Continue to Impact on Farm Incomes
IFA President Francie Gorman said today’s CSO figures for agriculture in 2023 show that farmers are still caught in a ‘cost-price’ squeeze. “While input costs have reduced by 5.5%, the price paid to farmers has fallen further by 8.2% over the 12-month period, resulting in the terms of trade falling by 2.9% when compared to […]
TAMS Momentum Must Continue – IFA
IFA Rural Development chair John Curran has welcomed an update from the Department of Agriculture that close on half of TAMS Tranche 1 applications have now been approved, with payment claims for ‘mobile’ investments and those within seven of the ten TAMS scheme now open. Claims for investments within the Animal Welfare; Nutrient Management Scheme; […]
Biodiversity Action Plan Recognises Role Farmers are Playing
IFA Environment & Rural Affairs chair John Murphy said it is encouraging to see that the 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan recognises the scale of the work that’s ongoing by farmers to improve biodiversity. “It is important to note that Irish farmers are already contributing strongly to biodiversity. On average, farms in Ireland have about 13% […]
IFA Meet Revenue Commissioners on VAT Refund Issue
IFA President Francie Gorman led a delegation to meet the Revenue Commissioners this week on the issue of VAT rebates to farmers who have carried out essential works on their farms. Under VAT 58 rules, farmers who aren’t registered for VAT, can reclaim VAT on certain capital expenditure items. Issues have arisen in recent months […]
IFA to Hold Online Information Meeting on Residential Zoned Land Tax
IFA will hold an online meeting next Wed, Jan 31st to update farmers affected by the Residential Zoned land Tax (RZLT). IFA Farm Business Chair Bill O Keeffe said updated maps will be published on Thurs, Feb 1st. Landowners who are impacted can make submissions on these maps up to April 1st. “The briefing, which […]
John Curran Elected Chair of IFA Rural Development Committee
John Curran from Kells in Co Meath is the new chair of the IFA National Rural Development Committee. He succeeds Michael Biggins who has completed his four-year term. John Curran will take up his role at the 69th AGM next Tues. He thanked Michael Biggins for his commitment and work on behalf of farmers. He said […]
Minister Must Act Now & Introduce Temporary Suspension on Timber Log Imports
IFA Farm Forestry Chair Jason Fleming said following the finding of the monetary pine bark beetle, the first non-native bark beetle to be found in Ireland, Minister Pippa Hackett must act now and suspend the importation of unprocessed timber while a full review of biosecurity measure is undertaken. “Farmers have seen the devastation caused by […]
