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\Philip Doyle
The speed at which the price of fertiliser has increased over recent weeks is staggering and will have dire consequences for farm incomes, Irish Cattle & Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) tillage chair Gavin Carberry has said.
“In the space of six weeks, we have witnessed price hikes of almost 50%.
“Nitrogen, which was trading at €180/t, has now skyrocketed to €300, and urea is a whopping €400. That sort of a burden is just too great to bear.
“Fertiliser companies are blaming various global issues for these price increases, but what good is that to farmers who cannot increase their own prices to absorb any extra costs?”
Attracting youth into the Irish Cattle Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) is a central priority for the two candidates running in its presidential election.
Although ICSA didn’t confirm its current membership numbers, its presidential candidates Sean McNamara from Lismacaffrey, Co. Westmeath suggested that membership stands at between 5,000/6,000, while Dermot Kelleher from Inchigeela, west Cork suggested that membership stands at 10,000.
Speaking to the Farming Independent, both contestants outlined their desire to bring greater communication and youth to the association if the count falls in their favour at the election this evening.
McNamara - a sheep, beef and suckler farmer who has been an ICSA member for 20 years and currently holds the position of Sheep Committee chairman – said he recognises how the farming profile has changed during time with the organisation.