The deficit in the IFA’s accounts could exceed €1m in the current financial year, the association’s presidential hustings in Mayo were told on Tuesday night.

Presidential candidate Martin Stapleton said a significant fall-off in income from the EIF levy, combined with increased costs, meant there will be a “seven-digit deficit” in the association’s income for the current financial year (1 April 2023 to the 1 April 2024).

However, Stapleton insisted that there were no long-term financial difficulties within IFA, as the organisation’s balance sheet was “incredibly strong”.

Francie Gorman was critical of a decision, taken last May, to delay dealing with the IFA’s financial difficulties until after the presidential election.

“That decision is going to cost the organisation,” he said. Gorman maintained that any proposals to increase membership charges or the EIF levy would have to be linked to cost savings.

“Members won’t buy it if there’s not some form of cost cutting measures,” he said.

The Laois candidate also questioned if the expenditure associated with the Irish Farm Centre in Dublin could be justified, given that it was “three-quarters empty”.

Along with the organisation’s finances, the three main issues of discussion were the derogation, communication and suckler supports.

A number of dairy farmers with fragmented holdings expressed concern regarding reports that stocking levels might be set on milking platforms. Stapleton described this as a “doomsday scenario” if it was to happen, but he dismissed the reports as “scaremongering”.

Both candidates accepted that more direct supports were required to halt the slide in suckler cow numbers.

Gorman called for an improved environmental scheme, paying up to €15,000 per entrant, as he claimed ACRES was “not fit for purpose”. But the funding of such an environmental measure was questioned by Stapleton.

The IFA’s communication strategy came in for heavy criticism from the floor. Both candidates agreed it needed to be improved.

However, they declined to answer when asked to rate Tim Cullinan’s performance as IFA president.