Tillage sector support payments commence

The commencement of support payments worth €14.3 million to the tillage sector was today, January 29th, announced by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, T.D.

Comprising of two funding mechanisms, 236 successful applicants to the Unharvested Crop Loss Support Scheme will receive a share of €1.67 million. Additionally, €12.63 million will be paid as a one-off, flat-rate payment to over 8,400 growers on the area of oilseed rape, winter and spring barley, wheat, oats and rye declared under the BISS in 2023, subject to a maximum of 100ha per applicant. The rate of payment per hectare is €50 and the minimum area to be eligible for the flat-rate payment is 5ha.

Making the announcement, Minister McConalogue said: “Tillage growers experienced significant challenges in 2023 with high costs of production, reduced output prices and challenging weather conditions which affected crop yields.

“Wet weather also affected the harvesting of crops with growers not being able to harvest crops in many areas. In light of these challenges, I specifically requested support from the EU Agricultural Reserve for tillage growers and also approved a 100% top-up to the Agricultural Reserve allocation of €7.147 million in National funding which will provide critical support for this important sector.”

Highlighting the integral role the tillage sector plays in the agri-food industry and to the Irish economy, Minister McConalogue said: “In line with commitments in Food Vision 2030 and the Climate Action Plan, I want to see the sector grow and develop. That’s why I have strongly supported tillage farmers in recent years and the additional funding I provided in 2023 for the Protein Aid Scheme and the Straw Incorporation Measure, along with the Tillage Incentive Scheme, and this significant support package being announced today underlines my long-term commitment to this important sector.”

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