President Michael D Higgins confronted a range of political issues affecting farmers as he officially opened the National Ploughing Championships this Tuesday in Screggan, Co Offaly.

When asked by the Irish Farmers Journal what his role would be on these issues ahead of the 26 October presidential election in which he is seeking a second term, he said: "I'd leave aside the election."

Then he immediately shared his views on the role of the European Union, calling for farm policy to be implemented "in a flexible way", for example in response to the way recent weather challenges had different impacts on various regions of the country.

Co-operation

"Farmers know the environment well," he said. "It's through co-operation that we will be able in fact to get sustainability in fact in relation to our environmental challenges but also get sustainability in relation to farm lives."

This will include more forward planning to prepare for weather events that are no longer unique, he warned.

Listen to President Higgins answer questions from Irish Farmers Journal news correspondent Thomas Hubert as he congratulated World Ploughing Championships gold and silver medallists Eamonn Tracey and John Whelan.

In his official speech, President Higgins expanded on the sustainability theme, urging farmers to take part in efforts to rework the Government's climate mitigation plan. He insisted on the need to include the way of life of farming families in sustainability.

At European and global level, we must be able to say: whatever it costs to sustain the farm family model, it requires assistance and should be assisted

He referred to the 1913 lockout and support for workers at the time to illustrate his hope that the country would come together to support farmers.

CAP and markets

President Higgins raised two issues central to farm incomes – CAP and food markets. "We must provide security in relation to the future of the farm family as a model upon which agriculture is built, and that means we have to be willing to pay for it," he said in relation to farm payments.

"At European and global level, we must be able to say: whatever it costs to sustain the farm family model, it requires assistance and should be assisted.''

He also called for more market regulation in the face of a "retail sector which is heading ever more towards conditions of monopolisation" and said of farmers: "We have responsibility never to abandon such people to the crude effect or market forces."

Brexit

On Brexit, President Higgins spoke out in favour of regulatory alignment between the UK and the EU. "We must ensure that the regulations which our farming community have kept, the high standards that they have achieved will be the ones that prevail in our neighbour's economy as well," he said.