Speech by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the 68th AGM of the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA)

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Dia dhaoibh a chairde.

Tá lúcháir orm a bheith anseo libh ag Ionad Feirme na hÉireann don seasca hochtú Cruinniú Ginearálta Bliantúil de Feirmeoirí Aontaithe na hÉireann.

Buíochas le Tim agus Elaine as ucht an gcuireadh.

Dear friends, it is great to be here in the Irish Farm Centre for the 68th AGM of the Irish Farmers’ Association.

Thanks to Tim and Elaine for the invitation to speak with you this evening. It is great that we can all be together in person again.

It is a privilege to be back here as Taoiseach to speak to you again. The last AGM I attended was in 2019.

A lot has changed since then-Brexit, a pandemic, inflation and a war in Europe.

What hasn’t changed since we last met is that farming and the Agri-food industry remains integral parts of our economy and society. An industry that you all give so much of your time and energy to.

The sector continues to be a significant provider of employment and income in every part of the country and particularly within the rural economy.

Demand for high quality food is increasing. The Irish agri-food sector, which is export focused, has a well-earned reputation for quality and safety and welfare and will continue to have a worldwide market for your produce.

I know the last few years have been challenging for you. Brexit, the pandemic, and Russia’s war in Ukraine have given rise to a lot of uncertainty.

Despite good commodity prices for many sectors, significantly higher production costs have dampened returns for farmers considerably, with spiraling fertilizer, feed and fuel prices.

To help families and businesses deal with rising costs, the government has provided money for once-off measures worth €4.1 billion as part of the overall €11 billion Budget 2023.

For the agri-food sector we extended the reduced excise duty on agricultural diesel. The Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme and the Ukraine Enterprise Crisis Scheme are there to help farmers and food businesses with their energy bills.

The government acted quickly to mitigate the worst effects of the Ukraine crisis on our economy.

We introduced schemes worth €91 million to encourage the harvesting of fodder and the planting of additional tillage. We also took steps to help the horticulture sector and protect a pigmeat sector squeezed by high input costs and low prices.

However, I am very aware of the challenges facing farm families. They continue to cause a lot of worry and uncertainty. This government will continue to stand with the sector through targeted interventions where and when they are most needed.

Despite these challenges, Irish agri-food has been performing well and the overall outlook remains positive. It remains positive because of your commitment to it. We must position ourselves though to deal with unexpected shocks. We must adjust quickly to the unavoidable and growing challenges.

The real impacts of climate change are there for us to see. We are witnessing record temperatures, wildfires, flooding, like those experienced in Pakistan and California, and prolonged droughts. These events are happening with increased frequency and intensity and Ireland will not be immune. It’s warmer and drier than before and we’re seeing more severe weather events more frequently.

The nature of the Climate crisis is unlike other challenges that we have faced. It requires a rethink of how we work, travel, use our land and source our energy.

Change across our economy and society is unavoidable. Tempting as it may be, we cannot wish this away or pretend it doesn’t affect us. Nor can we say it is up to other countries to act. On a per capita basis, Ireland is one of the highest emitters in the world and we have been for a long time.

Back in July, the government reached agreement on Sectoral Emissions Ceilings for the electricity, transport, buildings, industry and agriculture sectors. The reductions sought from the agri sector are the lowest in recognition of the unique place of food production and the rural economy.

As you know the ceilings set maximum limits on greenhouse gas emissions for each sector to the end of the decade. Done so to ensure they we remain within the legally binding carbon budgets.

Further work is ongoing to finalise a sectoral emissions ceiling for the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry sector.

Along with the completion of a land use review, this will provide further clarity for Irish farmers, foresters, fishers and the agri-food sector.

Farmers will not be asked to bear a disproportionate burden of climate change mitigation. The targets are for every sector: for energy, industry, transport and the built environment, are challenging.

At 25% the scale of the challenge for Irish farming is significant. I do not underestimate what it will ask of you and the sector.

However, with your help and with you leading the way I believe it is achievable.

Irish farmers are no strangers to change and have proven to be resilient and adaptable. We now understand the impacts of our combined actions on the world’s climate and on the natural world.

Farmers, have a positive role to play. We want to ensure that there is a bright and sustainable future for our farm families for this and future generations.

This is not the end of farming as we know it, farming practices and land-use are constantly evolving. It is in the interests of Irish farmers to be at the centre of a decade of change, shaping it and driving it to achieve a genuinely sustainable food production sector. One that will protect farm incomes, the environment, and a way of life. One that involves new streams of income from energy production and carbon farming, forestry, organics and agri tourism.

We need to accelerate our work in this area and move quickly to achieve agreed Climate Action Plan measures such as making best use of chemical and organic fertilisers, maximizing our natural advantage from grasslands, and improving animal breeding and feeding.

At the same time, we are investing heavily in new research and technologies so that the sector can reduce its emissions. I am interested in what can be achieved through feed additives, for example. Many changes to climate change will be technological.

We must also quickly build real opportunities for farmers to diversify their sources of income through the development of anaerobic digestion and expanded forestry, organics and tillage.

Irish agri-food has a great future. It can continue to produce world class produce while improving its environmental credentials and lowering its emissions.

Food Vision 2030 is an important element of this transition. It was developed for the sector by the sector, with a focus on economic, social and environmental factors affecting agriculture, food, forestry and seafood to 2030.

The government shares its objective to enhance the viability and sustainability of Irish farms. This includes improved economic returns. We must achieve this while improving the sector’s environmental performance.

Together, we want to go further and faster in order to reposition Irish agriculture to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

The new CAP strategic plan, which has just started will play an important role in that and put nearly €10 billion worth of payments in the pockets of farmers and farm families.

The CAP Strategic Plan will also deliver targeted actions for the 1,000 water bodies impacted by agriculture. Water Quality in Ireland has been deteriorating in recent years and changes are required to reverse that trend.

I am aware that the ACRES scheme is over-subscribed for 2023, with 46,000 applicants for 30,000 places.

It is good to see so many farmers interested in positive environmental action.

I know that Minister McConalogue is exploring ways in which this appetite for participation might be accommodated in the future. I am 100% behind him on that.

In all these challenges: climate, water quality and biodiversity loss, the government will work with farmers and the IFA to find solutions that protect farming and protect our environment.

Following an extensive period of engagement and consultation, Ireland has, for the first time, a vision for the role of trees and forests.

In order to realise this vision, the government has allocated €1.3 billion for the Forestry programme for the next five years.

This constitutes the best-funded Forestry Programme ever in Ireland. It provides unprecedented incentives for the planting of trees, with increases in premiums ranging from 46% to 66%.

I know many of you here have expressed concerns about Coillte. It is the government’s clear view that farmers, working with local communities will be central to the success of our overall forestry strategy.

The Forestry Programme and the Climate Action Plan are designed so that farmers will have the biggest opportunity to meet our forestry targets, and to benefit from our forestry payments.

We are on the cusp of a new and exciting chapter for forestry in Ireland. For many farmers, forestry is an activity that can complement existing farm activities to increase and diversify income.

I am asking the IFA to actively encourage your members to consider forestry as part of their work. This will benefit not just farmers but all of society and the rural economy.

There are few certainties in life but one is that we always need food, medicine and energy. Food production is and will continue to be a central part of Ireland’s economy and society.

The healthy performance of the agri-food sector in Ireland over the past few years, in a time of global upheaval, provides grounds for optimism for the years ahead.

As we work to develop the sector, we also must be conscious of the real and urgent need to get to grips with the challenges of climate change, water quality and biodiversity loss.

Public attention will only increase on these issues in the coming years, with genuine sustainability rapidly becoming a minimum expectation.

I know that Irish farmers are committed to ensuring that they farm in a sustainable way. So, we must work to find the best approach to combining food production, climate change mitigation and environmental protection.

We should strive to position Irish food as best in class when it comes to quality, safety, nutrition, and environmental sustainability so that we get the best price for what we produce. I am confident that if we continue to work together, there is a very bright future for farming in Ireland.

This government will continue to work with Irish farmers and with you, their representatives, as we navigate the opportunities and challenges ahead. It is in Ireland’s interests that farming continues to thrive and adapts quickly and effectively to the changing circumstances with which we are all faced.

Thank you. Enjoy your dinner. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.