Farmers are telling the Finance Minister they simply can’t afford to pay the carbon tax he’ll introduce in next month’s budget.

The IFA’s meeting Brian Lenihan this evening to highlight what they say is a disastrous drop in income for the production sector.

New figures to be released next week are expected to show a reduction of 20% in farm incomes this year.

Speaking on his way into the meet Minister Lenihan, IFA President Padraig Walshe insisted farmers just can’t take any more cuts.

“I believe that the burden has to be shared right across the entire economy” he said.

“The section of government expenditure that pertains to these various farm schemes that I refer to, is less than 1% of total government expenditure – and has been cut by more than 20% already in the last two budgets” he added.