ICMSA say Fertiliser Support Package must be reserved for those who paid the higher prices – Cannot be ‘one for everyone in the audience’

Responding to the EU’s fertiliser support package, the President of ICMSA, Denis Drennan, said that if the supports were to “make any difference”, then they must be directed to those farmers who had purchased fertiliser at the high prices.   Mr. Drennan was also adamant that the ‘headroom’ for national funding to ‘top-up’ the supports provided by the EU Package must also be fully utilised by the Irish Government.

“We think that it’s critical that the supports go to those farmers who have – and are still in the process – of purchasing fertiliser at inflated prices.  As is by now usual where the EU is dealing with farmers, the funds being provided are demonstrably inadequate and this cannot be a case of ‘one for everyone in the audience’; the funding must be reserved for the farmers who purchased – or will be forced to purchase – at high prices.  That’s the first point to make. The second point is that the EU – conscious of the inadequacy of their funding – is giving individual Member States ‘headroom’ to ‘top-up’ the supports being provided to their affected farmers.   The Irish Government must take this opportunity to follow the EU lead and give that support. There’s no need to ‘reinvent the wheel’ here’; if we just identify those farmers who have already purchased at higher prices, and who are in the process of purchasing at higher prices, then hopefully we will be able to give a level of support that will make a real difference, rather than the kind of token gesture that the current level of funding suggests”, concluded Mr. Drennan.

Ends      16 June 2026

Denis Drennan, 086-8389401

President, ICMSA

Or

Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press Office