Ms Louise Byrne:

I thank the Chairman for the invitation to discuss the current challenges facing the tillage sector. The 2025 harvest was excellent in terms of weather conditions for getting work completed. Yields this year fared well in general, particularly for winter crops, with reports for spring crop yields being more variable. However, there are pressures facing the sector, not least the challenging market outlook and downward price pressure this season. The Minister, Deputy Heydon, has engaged directly with farming organisations to hear their concerns.

The tillage sector is an integral part of Irish farming, producing high-quality animal feed and bedding for the livestock sector and ingredients for the food and drink industry. The sector makes a significant contribution to the Irish economy and is estimated to support over 11,000 full-time equivalent jobs. In recognition of the importance of the sector, significant direct supports have been provided to tillage farmers in recent years. Schemes specific to the tillage sector include the straw incorporation measure, the tillage incentive scheme, the protein aid scheme and the tillage capital investment scheme, all of which have proved hugely popular among tillage farmers. It is widely acknowledged that these schemes have made a significant contribution to the tillage sector in recent years, as well as contributing to meeting Ireland's environmental objectives through positively altering practices at farm level. In February of this year, the Minister announced €32.4 million of payments under the tillage and horticulture support scheme which was the Government's response to a difficult year in 2024 for tillage and horticultural farmers. The farming for water EIP has a budget of €60 million to support targeted on-farm additional measures to improve water quality, including the establishment of cover crops. This year almost 1,400 tillage farmers have expressed an interest in establishing such crops under the EIP.

It is Irish Government policy to grow the area of tillage in the years ahead. The climate action plan sets a target to increase the area of tillage to 400,000 ha by 2030. This is well founded, given that the sector is one of the most carbon efficient in Irish agriculture. It is for this reason that the food vision tillage group was established in May 2023 to set out a roadmap for the sector.