Tillage Update 31st March 2022
Ciaran Collins, Teagasc Tillage Specialist has the latest details here about the new Tillage Incentive Scheme. Ploughing grassland to plant a tillage crop is being encouraged in 2022 by the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine with the introduction of the Tillage Incentive Scheme worth €400/ha
The incentive, for qualifying farmers, is to offset the increased costs in 2022 compared to 2021.
Economics and Supply of materials
Farmers should tread carefully as all tillage crops need to achieve relatively high yields before realising profitability. Below are costs of production and possible margins for spring barley and maize and beet.
Notes: See Teagasc Costs and Returns for specific details on input quantities.
Fertiliser prices included – CAN €995/t, 0-7-30 €1025/t, 13-6-20 €1060/t. Other Fixed Costs not include; Lime €120/ha, Glyphosate €55/ha, Remedial works €100/ha. Land rental is not included
Tillage Incentive Scheme (TIS)
For a farmer to be eligible for the scheme the farmer must fulfil the following criteria
1. There must be an increase in the total area of eligible crops grown on the holding in 2022 versus 2021.
2. The land on which the additional crops are grown must not have been in crop production in 2021 and must have been in grassland i.e. one of the crops considered as grassland in the list below.
Eligible tillage crops for TIS 2022 are:
- Oats – spring
- Oats – winter
- Wheat – winter
- Wheat –spring
- Rye
- Barley – winter
- Barley – spring
- Oilseed Rape – winter
- Oilseed Rape – spring
- Maize
- Fodder/sugar beet
Eligible area where the above crops must be sown
- Alfalfa
- Clover
- Fallow
- Grass Year 1
- Grass Year 2
- Grass Year 3
- Grass Year 4
- Grass Year 5
- Grassmeal
- Hemp for Food Use
- Hemp for Industrial Use
- Lucerne
- Miscanthus Sinensis
- Permanent Pasture
- Potatoes
- Red Clover
- Willow
No mixed crops are allowed e.g., arable silage, mixed cropping etc.
Other criteria
- The TIS is open to all farmers
- The farmer claiming the TIS must show the increased tillage area on their 2022 BPS application
- The farmer must comply with the Crop Diversification Rules ( Three crop rule) but DAFM have looked to the EU to change this
- Beans are not eligible – a grower cannot get the protein payment and the TIS
- Wild bird cover is not covered (so far … but this may change)
Examples
Note: Grower No 2 planted and extra 15 hectares in 2022 compared to 2021 but 10ha of this area was into land which was spring barely in 2021 – not sown into grassland therefore the 10ha is not eligible.
Grower No 3 is a grassland only farmer in 2021 who then plants 10 ha of barley in 2022.
Full details and terms and conditions are available on the DAFM website at Tillage Incentive Scheme
The Tillage Edge podcast
Teagasc tillage specialists, Ciarán Collins and Shay Phelan, joined Michael Hennessy on this week’s podcast to discuss the new Tillage Incentive Scheme and what’s in it for tillage farmers
The specialists also discussed areas to watch out for when ploughing grassland for tillage crops this year.
Find out more information and advice from the Teagasc Crops team here. The Teagasc Crops Specialists issue an article on a topic of interest to tillage farmers every Thursday on Teagasc Daily. Find your local Teagasc office here