Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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579. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm targets for land use associated with the growing of crops for 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025; and his proposed measures to reach those targets. [24055/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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In 2022, the area under tillage crops was 348,500 hectares which represents a 6% increase on the area planted in 2021. My Department has not set individual yearly targets for the growing of tillage crops, however, maintaining the current crop area with an ambition to grow this area in the years ahead is an important strategic objective of mine and my Department. This is highlighted in the Food Vision 2030 Strategy and more recently in the Climate Action Plan where a target has been set of up to 360,000 hectares of tillage by 2025 and up to 400,000 hectares by 2030.

The tillage sector is a sector that I have backed with new and innovative schemes in recent times including the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM) and the Tillage Incentive Scheme (TIS). In the new CAP Strategic Plan, I secured an increase in the budget of the Protein Aid Scheme from €3m to €7m. Our new Agri-Environmental Scheme (ACRES) includes a broad range of actions that are relevant to tillage farmers while the new Tillage Capital Investment Scheme under TAMS contains a broader range of investments and a higher investment ceiling of €90,000.

To help deliver my ambition to grow the sector to 400,000 hectares by 2030, I recently established the Food Vision 2030 Tillage Group which held its first meeting on Thursday 11 May 2023. This group will bring together all relevant stakeholders to set out a roadmap for the sustainable growth and development of the sector to 2030. I have tasked the group with providing a detailed plan and recommendations by the end of July with a final report to be submitted during the final quarter of 2023.