Profitability critical to farm strategy, says IFA

Any new strategy for the agri-food sector will only be credible if the focus is firmly on delivering farm profitability, IFA president Eddie Downey has stated.

Addressing the 2025 Agri-Food Strategy Committee, he said profitability will require both on-farm actions and external measures delivered through the industry and by policymakers.

“While farmers will play their part through increasing the competitiveness of their food production, it is essential that other stakeholders in the agri-food industry are required to take responsibility for delivering measures that will underpin the long-term sustainability of the primary agriculture sector.

“This must include increased price transparency across the food supply chain, greater bargaining powers for primary producers, and real actions to tackle input costs,” he said, also urging a renewed focus on increasing sustainability and marketing to deliver a premium throughout the supply chain.