The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) has voiced its disappointment with the lack of measures to counteract the volatility of farm incomes.The ICMSA has been responding to the announcements made in Budget 2025 and has welcomed the extension to a number of reliefs to 2027.
The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) has voiced its disappointment with the lack of measures to counteract the volatility of farm incomes.
The ICMSA has been responding to the announcements made in Budget 2025 and has welcomed the extension to a number of reliefs to 2027.
Minister for Finance Jack Chambers embraced the ICMSA’s proposals for dealing with farm incomes, but has only committed to tackling them in next year's budget.
Responding to the announcement, ICMSA president Denis Drennan said income volatility is the biggest challenge facing the sector and must be solemnly undertaken.
“It is completely entwined with the question of the transition to low emissions farming and investment and it is bluntly disappointing that the Government did not deliver on its commitment contained in the original Programme for Government.”
Farm relief
The Government announced measures to improve the position of farmers in the land market.
Drennan welcomed the focus on the issue of high net worth non-farmers using farm relief measures to avoid various inheritance tax measures. However, he would await the publication of the finance bill before passing judgement on the measures.
“We are not completely convinced that the measures announced by Minister [for Finance Jack] Chambers actually get to the heart of what’s been going on and how to deal with it and have concerns there could be unintended consequences.”
Dairy-beef scheme
Minister Chambers also announced a doubling of the budget for the dairy-beef scheme.
Drennan said this was “an obvious, right and environmentally sound step in the right direction” and the funding should go to the people rearing the calves.
He added that it was already obvious that further funding will be required in future years if we are to realise the economic and environmental potential of dairy beef production.
“The overall positivity of the budget and the fact that it has at least signalled the fact that it knows that our farming - and the wider agri-sector that rests on farming - needs active support and not just a kind of benevolent neutrality.
“That change in attitude needs to be turned into concrete measures,” added Drennan.
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