IFA President Francie Gorman said that the headline in today’s Irish Times that consumers should ‘blame farmers’ for increased food prices is unfair, inaccurate and inflammatory.
“Farmers are price takers in economic terms. The recent increase in food prices is due fundamentally to shortages of supply in Ireland and Europe. Much of this production reduction has been driven by regulations and schemes many of which were championed by the Irish Times who have consistently given platforms to people to run down Irish farming,” Francie Gorman said.
“Wider society needs to wake up to the importance of food security. Young people are not returning to farming, and people are beginning to see the effects of falling output,” he said.
The recent grocery price analysis by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) clearly outlines that Irish grocery prices, despite recent increases, are at similar levels to 2008.
It also shows that the rate of food price increase in Ireland has been far lower than the EU average or any of the 5 other EU countries analysed in the report.
“It is very frustrating to see some in the media try to point the finger of blame at farmers while putting no proper context to the trend in food prices.”
“Irish food prices fell more or less consistently for 15 years prior to 2022, the direct opposite of what was happening across other EU countries. Yes, we have seen a significant price increase in the last couple of years, and I fully appreciate the pressure this puts on households but in reality, it is only reversing previous declines,” he added.
The report also points out that while grocery prices have increased by 27% between 2021 and 2025, this is lower than the EU average of 35%. The report also points out that, in 2024, hourly wages and salaries in Ireland were 40% higher than the EU average.
“The idea that farmers are the cause of recent food price increases is wildly inaccurate. Farmers are price takers; anyone with any knowledge of farming or economics knows that. The reality is a shortage of food supply is one of the key reasons for increasing food prices, not just in Ireland, but across Europe and beyond. It is the inevitable outcome of constantly increasing regulations which is choking farm output across the EU. You can’t reap what you don’t sow,” the IFA President concluded.
