Farmers are the backbone of rural communities and will need to be supported, President Michael D Higgins said at the official opening of Ploughing 2024 in Ratheniska, Co Laois, on Tuesday.

President Higgins applauded the efforts of Irish farmers, who, he said, are proving that it is possible to balance the needs of production with the need to protect the environment.

"Farming is more than just a matter of production, it is a space of life, it is an intrinsic value that goes far beyond economic - a way of life that I believe must be cherished and protected.

"I have in recent speeches said that I believe this may require direct assistance to farm families, if we are to protect this way of life," he said.

Responsibility

Farming can't survive in a market-led situation, President Higgins said, adding that retailers have a responsibility to those who produce food. Their actions when setting prices have an impact on farmers, he added.

"If farming as a way of life is to be sustainable in practice, it will require the security of better socially designed supports, better social protection, a social floor that ensures that those who are the backbone of our rural communities are not ignored," he said.

Concluding, President Higgins acknowledged the "invaluable contribution" of agriculture to Irish society and, in particular, to rural Ireland.

"Our farming communities, our farming families, have demonstrated the truth of this time and again throughout our history and I know they will continue to do so in the future with the support of all the citizens of Ireland to build an inclusive, flourishing, compassionate and generous Republic," he said.