DEAR SIR: It is with great interest I read the account of your discussion with the IFA national council on 30 May.

I am encouraged that you are showing the foresight and willingness to adapt and change our CAP system in light of recent geopolitical upheaval, which has resulted in unstable food channels – acknowledging the precarious food supply chains due to war. Would you please mind spelling out your ambitions for the Irish farmers to put their shoulder to the wheel and how we can adapt our plan? Alongside pulling on the European jersey, we need to pull on the humanitarian jersey to prevent unimaginable malnutrition.

The current proposed CAP system for the next year would not be fit for this purpose. The national envelope is too small to subsidise land ownership. It must be directed towards the productive farm families that actually produce food to alleviate the impending food crisis as was the case in the past.