IFA Reaction to Tillage Supports in Budget ‘27
Commenting following the announcement of Budget ‘27 yesterday, IFA Grain Chair John Murphy said the overall package of €54m is positive for struggling tillage farmers, but a multi-annual funding commitment of €65m is still needed to safeguard the sector from the prolonged economic crisis it has faced for the past four seasons.
“Without this, there is little hope of achieving the Government’s own target of 400,000 hectares of tillage.”
“The provision of €30m for the Tillage Sustainability Support Scheme in the coming year will be of help for all tillage farmers. We will be seeking a meeting on this with Department of Agriculture officials right away. It’s critical that is paid out as early as possible in 2027,” John Murphy said.
The increase in the allocation for the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM) in 2027 is positive and the overall budget for the coming season of €14m is more reflective of the level of participation in this scheme from tillage growers in the past number of years.
“A full 200% top-up on the fertiliser support scheme, introduced by the EU Commission is also notable. The overall fund of €46m is likely to mean €34/tonne for all farmers. Fertiliser accounted for as much as 35% of tillage production costs in 2026, with no let up on the horizon for 2027. The payment will provide some relief from this significant cost burden,” John Murphy concluded.
