Brian Brennan (Wicklow-Wexford, Fine Gael)
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760. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what supports he plans to offer in 2025 for those in the tillage sector, especially due to increasing costs and constant factors outside farmers’ control; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16703/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The tillage sector is an integral part of Irish farming. This Government recognises the importance of the sector and wants to grow the area under tillage crops.

My Department has provided significant direct supports to tillage farmers. The financial allocation for coupled support under the Protein Aid Scheme has been increased to €10m annually from 2024. The Straw Incorporation Measure has an allocation of €50m over 5 years with €10m allocated for this year.

The Tillage Capital Investment Scheme under TAMS provides support for a broad range of investments to support farmers to achieve improved competitiveness, increased efficiency, growth and environmental benefits.

In response to challenges experienced by growers in 2023 and 2024, the Government provided additional direct financial support.

In February this year, I was delighted to announce €32.4 million of payments under the Tillage and Horticulture Support Scheme which was Government’s response to the difficult position tillage and horticultural farmers found themselves in due to exceptionally poor weather and continued high input costs last Spring.

The report of the Food Vision Tillage Group sets out a road map for the sustainable growth and development of the sector. Work is ongoing to progress the actions in the report and this work was discussed at a meeting of the Tillage Group on 7th February. My Department will continue to engage with stakeholders to progress the implementation of the report which will require collaboration and commitment from stakeholders across the sector.

I will continue to work with the tillage sector to deliver on the commitment in the Programme for Government to invest significantly in the tillage sector over the next five years.