Membership of the IFA is at an all-time high, having increased by another 2 per cent in the last year.

Apart from representation, membership offers farmers:

A personal accident insurance scheme, on car/van insurance with FBD and with VHI heath insurance;

A discount on farm accounts with IFAC Accountants;

A discount on travel on Irish Ferries to Britain, on travel insurance and on holidays at the Tower Hotel Group;

A discount on Advance Pit Stop services and on car and plant glass, among other benefits.

An IFA table of membership performance over the last 12 months shows new membership, including family, at 8,588. There is a target for each county - for example, 255 for Kildare of which 207 was achieved, or 410 for Wexford, when the increase was actually 410.

The table also lists the dropout rate, for example, Clare, which had a drop-out of 315 - 105 per cent of the targeted drop-out.