The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has urged the government to take legislative action to prevent below-cost selling of food.

IFA president Tim Cullinan addressed the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture this week on the issues facing the pig, poultry, horticulture and potato sectors.

He highlighted the challenges facing the sectors, including spiralling production costs and ever-tightening margins as a result of the dominant position of a small number of retailers.

The IFA president said the three sectors are going through a very difficult time at the moment.

"Farmers are faced with exorbitant increases in the cost of energy, feed and fertiliser. Between this and the action from retailers, it’s creating undue and unfair pressure on our primary producers," Cullinan said.

"Unless government action is taken, these challenges pose a significant threat to the viability of primary food production across the pig, poultry, horticulture and potato sectors,” he said.

According to the association, it’s estimated the number of field growers is now below 100, from a point over 20 years ago where there were nearly 400.

"This can be almost exclusively attributed to the lower price paid by big retail buyers to their end suppliers, forcing primary producers out of business," Cullinan added.

Cullinan said the government must stop below-cost selling and implement this into Irish law, which in turn needs to be regulated by the new Food Ombudsman Office. 

The IFA said that retail buyers must be held accountable and food producers must be given appropriate legal protection.

The association claims that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has recognised that the primary producers' share is well below the EU average.

"It’s time to act on this. These sectors need regulation with real statutory powers of investigation and enforcement to ensure there is equality in the food chain," Cullinan said.