The outlook for a number of farm sectors is of "big concern" in 2026, according to the president of the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA).

In his address to the 71st AGM of the association in Dublin today Tuesday, January 13, Francie Gorman said despite a good year in 2025, "most sectors are under pressure on price in recent weeks".

He said recent cuts in milk price have been "savage", with the beef, sheep, pigs and potato sectors also having an uncertain future.

"Processors and retailers have to share the pain and support their suppliers during these challenges," Gorman said.

Mercosur

Addressing the crowd, Gorman said the backdrop to the AGM has seen "some dramatic developments around what we consider a core issue: to have our world-class standards recognised in public policy".

"That applies to trade deals," Gorman said.

Gorman said that since the recall of Brazilian beef in this country was announced recently, the authorities have been "unable to provide a credible explanation for this very serious breach".

"We are told that this was part of an EU audit, but that this full report won’t be published until well into 2026. That is not good enough," the IFA president continued.

"We need to see the full audit and we need to see it now.

"The Mercosur deal is bad for farming; it is bad for public health; it is bad for rural Ireland; but it is also bad for the EU Commission.

"Our government took a stand last Friday and voted no to the deal, which is what we and farmers expected them to do, as it had been promised in the programme for government.

"But - we expect them to do more. There was also a commitment to work with other countries in opposing the deal. That work must continue before the European Parliament votes on the deal."

Expecting Irish and European farmers to "have trust in the EU while turning a blind eye to substandard imports is unfair", Gorman said.

"We are anti-Mercosur, but we are not anti the EU," he added.

Gorman said if the Mercosur deal goes through, the focus will be on supporting Irish farmers through this and seeking enforcement of producton standards for food coming into the EU.

On concerns around cheaper food being imported, Gorman said he understands that consumers are looking for value "and rightly so".

However, he said: "Irish shoppers are very perceptive and they will look at the quality of the food they want.

"Householders will make up their own minds but I'm quite clear that the bulk of Irish householders will, first and foremost, be looking for Irish."

CAP

Gorman said the dominant issue for 2026, and particularly the second half of the year, will be the shape of the next CAP.

"The first issue to be resolved is the size of the budget as part of the EU Multiannual Financial Framework, the MFF," Gorman said.

"The original proposal got this off to a very bad start.

"Whatever way they try to present it, there is no getting away from that.

"I want to remind the EU Commission: there is no greater security than food security. But you won’t have it if you strip away certainty from farm families."

Gorman said cutting CAP is a "kick in the teeth" for European farmers and their families.

"Before we have any discussions about how the next CAP should be structured, we have to resolve this budget issue," he said.

"For our government, this must be a priority during the Irish Presidency of the EU.

"As net contributors to the EU budget, our government has to insist that a higher portion of the budget goes to the CAP."

Gorman added that CAP funding "should be directed at those farmers who are farming the land sustainably and producing food; tending to livestock; and harvesting the crops".

"Along with a higher budget, the minister has to address the ‘cost incurred, income foregone’ issue," he said.

"This restriction has effectively meant that farmers cannot derive any benefit from a number of schemes."