There is to be no honeymoon for newly elected IFA president Joe Healy. The Galwayman is in Brussels on Thursday, advancing the case for Irish farmers.

Healy became the 15th president of the IFA with a sweeping victory, gaining a majority of the more than 28,000 farmers who turned out to vote. Richard Kennedy, like Healy, a dairy farmer and a former Macra president, is the new deputy president.

Healy is attending the monthly meeting of COPA with two early priorities – to gain support for action on fertiliser prices, and to mount “strong opposition” to any Mercosur trade deal. The IFA wants tariffs on fertiliser abolished, with the IFPRI report it commissioned supporting its case.

On Wednesday, Healy led an IFA delegation in meeting the country’s largest dairy processor and was critical of the “Glanbia model” for the price it is returning back to farmers.

“Farmers are disillusioned with a system which was supposed to apply the co-op ethos to milk purchasing and remove the pressures from the plc,” said Healy. “It requires top -ups to pay farmers a price about on par with other co-ops, which are unsustainable in the long term.”

Healy’s election was welcomed by acting Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney.

Full Coverage: IFA Election Day

Healy hits the ground running

The new IFA president was criticial of Glanbia on his first day in office.