Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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520. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on increasing the funding for the Protein Aid and Protein/Cereal Mix (50/50) Crop Scheme by 50%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21868/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Protein Aid Scheme is one of a series of measures I have introduced to support the tillage sector in improving our self-sufficiency in the production of grain and protein crops.

Protein crops serve as a valuable break crop in tillage rotations and play an important role in fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere, helping to reduce nitrogen fertiliser usage. The Protein Aid Scheme provides support for the eligible protein crops of beans, peas, lupins and soya and for protein/cereal mix crops.

I more than doubled the budget for the Protein Aid Scheme from €3 million to €7 million in the CAP Strategic Plan 2023 - 2027. The overall rate of payment per hectare is dependent on the area of eligible crops sown.

In the 2022 Protein Aid Scheme, just over €3.2 million was paid out to 946 farmers on an area of approximately 11,000 hectares.

Whilst the final area of protein crops planted will not be known until after the closing date for the Basic Income Support Scheme deadline, the latest estimates from industry is that the area planted to protein crops in 2023 will be in the region of 15,000 hectares. Based on these estimates the rates of payment will be significantly higher when compared with rates of payment per hectare in 2022.