New tillage support scheme opens to applications

The opening of a new National Tillage Sustainability Support Scheme was today, February 24, announced by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD.

Announced as part of Budget 2026, funding of €30 million has been made available. Interested applicants should note that the scheme will provide for a degressive rate of payment to applicants who declared cereal and oilseed rape crops on their 2025 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and other area-based application. Eligible crops under the scheme are barley, wheat, oats, rye triticale and oilseed rape.

Applications under the scheme can be submitted online via the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s MyAgFood portal with the scheme closing for applications on 9 March 2026.

Commenting on the scheme announcement, Minister Heydon said: “Tillage farming plays an important role in the sustainability of the agri-food sector as a whole and is recognised as one of the most carbon efficient sectors in Irish agriculture.

“However, I wish to acknowledge the significant challenges faced by the sector in recent years. Following two particularly difficult years in 2023 and 2024, and more recently a challenging market situation with downward price pressure internationally. This, along with high costs of production, have placed considerable strain on growers’ margins.”

Minister Heydon noted that securing this funding would help underpin and boost confidence in the sector, adding: “The tillage sector is extremely important to this Government, and it is a sector we want to see grow in the years ahead. This scheme demonstrates the Government’s commitment to supporting the sector and advances the commitment set out in the Programme for Government, as well as a key recommendation in the Food Vision Tillage Group Report regarding the importance of delivering significant supports for the tillage sector.”

Farmers wishing to contact the department regarding the Tillage Sustainability Support Scheme, can ring the Direct Payments Helpline at 057 8674422 or email tillage@agriculture.gov.ie

For further details, visit the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s webpage.