IFA farm business chair Bill O’Keeffe has stated that Government must come forward with €300/cow in suckler supports and €250/ha for tillage in Budget 2025.

Another ask in the IFA’s calls for budget day will be more funding for slurry storage, including for those not eligible for grant aid under the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes (TAMS).

Sustained increases in farm building costs must see out-of-kilter TAMS reference costs brought up to date and the €90,000 investment ceiling raised in line with inflation, O’Keeffe said. The association is to seek an increase in the maximum area eligible for Areas of Natural Constraints payments from 40ha to 45ha.

The farm business chair stated that the association push for a solution to be brought forward in the budget for active farmers’ exemption to the Residential Zoned Land Tax due to be levied annually from next February.

Another IFA call is to centre on supports for the removal of roadside ash on farmland, either through a payment scheme for farmers, or funding local authorities to remove diseased trees on behalf of farmers.

Wages

O’Keeffe stated that a rise in the minimum wage would present “huge issues” for farmers, as it would see the cost of inputs raised, output costs squeezed and labour costs increased directly on farms.

“As we have been calling for all year, any new or existing schemes must see payments made on time to farmers. The timing of payments is essential,” O’Keeffe said.