Tillage Sector: Statements

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Martin Heydon)

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to address the House today on the significant challenges facing our tillage sector. Before I outline the Government's response, I will begin by acknowledging the strain that many farming families in the sector face. Coming on the back of two horrendously difficult years weatherwise, thankfully conditions for harvest 2025 were much more favourable. It has allowed field work to be undertaken and completed in a timely fashion. This was much needed as many spring crops have not come in as well as winter crops. However, the sector has encountered additional pressures, not least the challenging market situation and downward price pressure internationally. This, along with the high costs of production, has significantly impacted on the margin for growers, with crops on rented land particularly challenged. I have been engaging directly with the farming organisations on these challenges.

The tillage sector really is an absolutely vital cog in the wheel of agriculture and agrifood produce. Like any gearbox that has cogs in it, all sectors and all cogs are dependent on each other. If one does not work correctly, the wheel does not turn. This is very much the case with all of the other parts of the agricultural sector. They depend on us having a strong and vibrant tillage sector. It is an integral part of Irish farming, producing high-quality animal feed and bedding for the livestock sector and ingredients for the food and drink industry. It also makes a significant contribution to the Irish economy, at an estimated €1.9 million per annum over the 2018 to 2022 period, and it supports the equivalent of over 11,000 full-time jobs.

As a Government, we have provided a range of significant supports to tillage farmers in recent years. Since assuming this role, I have taken every opportunity available to me to support the sector further. In addition to the commitments in budget 2026, on which I will speak further in due course, my Department has already delivered substantial supports to tillage farmers in recent years. Schemes specific to the tillage sector include the straw incorporation measure, the tillage incentive scheme, protein aid and the tillage capital investment scheme. They have all proved hugely popular among tillage growers.

This year, the budget for protein aid is €10 million, having increased from €7 million to €10 million annually from last year. This is a significant support for crops such as peas and beans, which are excellent protein feed sources and provide important environmental benefits. The straw incorporation measure is very popular among farmers and I am a huge fan of it. It demonstrates the sector's commitment to climate and the environment through increasing carbon sequestration. It is a scheme that tillage farmers have come to rely on from an income perspective and when it comes to making cropping decisions for the year. This year, over 66,000 ha of cereals and oilseed rape straw were submitted for chopping and incorporating. I gave a commitment to pay all farmers who applied under the scheme. I made this decision early to give certainty to those farmers while also providing an economic boost. There was flexibility for farmers to withdraw from the scheme in certain circumstances - for example, where straw is required for livestock - to safeguard supply across all sectors.

In February, I announced €32.4 million of payments under the tillage and horticulture support scheme, which was the Government's response to the difficult position tillage and horticulture farmers found themselves due to exceptionally poor weather and continued high input costs the previous spring. This exceeded the €30 million provided for in the 2025 budget but I was anxious we would be able to make the payment on every hectare of eligible ground. In addition, the Farming for Water European innovation partnership, EIP, has a budget of €60 million to support targeted on-farm additional measures to improve water quality, including the establishment of cover crops. This year, almost 1,400 tillage farmers have expressed an interest in establishing cover crops under the EIP. If this high level of interest translates to the area of cover crops sown, it will significantly increase our national area under cover crops, providing benefits for water quality and soil health.

The tillage capital investment scheme under targeted agriculture modernisation schemes, TAMS, provides important support for a broad range of investments to support farmers to achieve improved competitiveness, increased efficiency, growth and environmental benefits. These schemes made a significant contribution to the tillage sector in recent years as well as contributing to meeting Ireland's environmental objectives through positively altering practices at farm level. The Government recognises the importance of the tillage sector as an integral part of the Irish agricultural industry and is committed to growing the area under tillage crops in line with climate action plan targets.

At a challenging time for the sector, I will be supporting growers in 2026 with funding through a new tillage support scheme, in conjunction with the protein aid scheme and the straw incorporation measure, providing targeted supports of at least €50 million. This marks a significant and direct investment by the Government, evidencing its commitment to the sector. Having secured a funding allocation for a new tillage support scheme, I intend to consult further with stakeholders on its design and operation.

These measures will help support tillage farm incomes and will provide a strong base to protect the future of tillage farming in Ireland. I will continue to work with the tillage sector and provide targeted support where possible given the strategic importance of the sector within the wider agricultural industry.

As I have mentioned, this Government is committed to growing the area under tillage in the years ahead. This will require work in a range of areas in addition to immediate financial support. The current area under tillage is approximately 335,000 ha. The climate action plan sets a target to increase this to 400,000 ha by 2030. This ambition is well founded given that tillage is the most carbon efficient sector of Irish agriculture. In 2022, the agricultural emissions on specialist tillage farms expressed in tonnes of CO2 equivalent per hectare was just 1.9 tonnes. Of course, before the area can be grown, it needs to be stabilised. While the area under tillage has increased by 21,000 ha or 7% since 2020, it remained almost static last year. Where land leaves tillage for grass, it rarely comes back.

The Food Vision tillage group was established in 2023 to set out a roadmap for the sustainable growth and development of the sector. The final report of the group was published in May of last year. It is a comprehensive report that lists 28 action points under several themes and identifies opportunities to grow the sector and to further improve its environmental footprint. Engagement with the Food Vision tillage group continues through the sharing of updates on progress on actions to date from my Department, Teagasc and other industry stakeholders. I chaired the Food Vision high-level implementation committee at the Teagasc crops open day in June, when we were updated on progress across a number of areas. My Department continues to engage with stakeholders to progress the actions in the report. It will require collaboration and sustained effort from all stakeholders in the sector if it is to succeed.

I believe in the importance of developing new value-added opportunities for the sector to enhance its long-term sustainability, something that is highlighted in the Food Vision tillage report, despite current headwinds, including a challenging market outlook and the instability of export markets brought about by tariffs, which created an extra challenge for malting barley growers this year. I hope this is short-lived. I note positive developments such as the news that Diageo plans to double the brewing capacity of its new carbon-neutral facility in south Kildare and the launch of the National Centre for Brewing and Distilling at Oak Park in Carlow in June, both of which point to potential value-added opportunities for Irish grain.

The development of new technologies such as AgNav is also an important step forward. This new technology will allow farmers to demonstrate their carbon footprint and to identify further mitigation strategies tailored to their individual farms while at the same time allowing tillage farmers to demonstrate the sector's low-carbon credentials.

As outlined in the Food Vision tillage report, we must consider how best to develop the possibility of a sustainable quality assurance scheme for tillage. This will require thorough engagement between all stakeholders but, if done right, it has the potential to help open new value-added market opportunities, particularly in the area of premium food and drinks, where sustainability and providence are increasingly valued by both consumers and industry.

The Food Vision tillage report highlighted access to land as a key challenge for increasing the area under tillage crops. Facilitating and encouraging the exchange of nutrients between livestock and tillage farmers was identified as an important action to help alleviate pressure on land. In response, my Department provided additional support under TAMS through the nutrient importation scheme in August 2024 and enhanced grant aid for nutrient storage in January 2025. Accelerated capital allowances for manure storage investment have also been provided. These were renewed in budget 2026 for a period of four years rather than the normal three years to provide additional certainty for farmers in planning their investments. Verifying organic nutrient movements has also been made easier for importing and exporting farmers through the launch in January 2025 of my Department's organic nutrient movement mobile phone app. Additionally, a subgroup of the agriculture water quality working group is due to consider the issues and develop proposals to increase the exchange of nutrients between livestock farmers and tillage farmers.

I recently attended a meeting in the Killashee Hotel in County Kildare where well over 700 tillage farmers turned up. As a farmer in south Kildare and a resident in a strong tillage area, many of whose neighbours are tillage farmers, I know that does not normally happen in the sector. Tillage farmers do not normally do protests or turn out in such numbers but they did so because of the cumulative effects of three years of really difficult market conditions and the very difficult position of world market prices. At that meeting, which was held before the budget, those farmers talked about the need for financial support in this budget. On the night, I could not commit to getting that over the line in my budget negotiations but I did commit to doing everything I could. As the discussion went on over two and a half hours and as the questions and back and forth began, it was made very clear that, while the financial element is important as an indication to instil confidence in people who are considering whether to sow again next year or this autumn, it is only a short-term measure to provide confidence. The medium-term measure is to look at those areas encompassed in the Food Vision tillage group report. Those measures can really move us away from our dependence and reliance on world market prices, which are depressed in the tillage sector at the minute.

While I did secure €50 million in a budget that was very constrained and where there were a lot of competing demands, I commit to continuing to work with all stakeholders and with Members of this House to identify value-added opportunities. That might be new milling facilities or supporting businesses in taking up the opportunities they have. It might be looking at our whiskey file and the role Irish whiskey has to play. This is another sector that is experiencing very strong difficulties this year as a result of the tariffs. It might involve looking at the role quality assurance can play or looking at the use of native grains to ensure we can monetise the increased benefits and value of those grains as a feedstuff and feed source. That value-added piece is the bigger prize in the medium term. We should learn from the dairy sector, which was able to find the additionality and added value that allowed it not to be dependent only on the crude instrument of world market prices, which come with a great deal of volatility.

I get this industry. I have its back. I want to continue to support it. I would have liked to have had more money for the sector in this budget but it is a solid base as the first of five budgets I intend to bring in. It is a clear indication of my commitment to supporting this sector throughout my time in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. In many ways, the bigger prize will be beyond one-off payments. It will be about designing a scheme that is targeted to ensure the benefits get to the farmers who need them the most through a direct payment per hectare. That could really move the dial for those farmers who are struggling. Beyond that is the medium-term piece, where we can really instil confidence. Looking at all of the challenges we discussed here late last night in respect of agriculture, including generational renewal, that medium-term goal of giving confidence through adding value to the remarkable produce our tillage farmers produce is a very big prize. That is something I am determined to pursue in my time as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for this opportunity. I look forward to hearing the contributions of Members of the House today.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Michael Healy-Rae)

I concur with the Minister on the seriousness and importance of the situation. I acknowledge the fact that the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and the Ceann Comhairle are allowing this debate to go forward. I thank the Opposition for being here to debate this matter because this is not a case of us or the Department versus anybody else. We are all trying to ensure that we have a vibrant and strong tillage industry in this country. We want its future to be secure and we all want to work together. Like the Minister, Deputy Heydon, I acknowledge the critical role the tillage sector plays within the wider agricultural economy. I am acutely aware of the challenges our tillage farmers are facing. I re-emphasise the importance of the targeted supports outlined by the Minister in helping to strengthen and sustain the sector.

With regard to the Common Agricultural Policy for the period 2028 to 2034, CAP supports are an important part of tillage farm income. It is important that these supports are protected into the future. As the House is aware, the negotiations on the Commission's proposals for the next multi-annual financial framework, which includes the Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy for the period 2028 to 2034, have now commenced. The proposals involve significant changes, which we are studying in detail to better understand the impact on Ireland. The shift from the current two-pillar model to a single national and regional partnership plan, NRPP, represents a fundamental change in the governance of the CAP. Ireland's proposed ring-fenced CAP allocation of €8.1 billion represents a reduction of approximately 24% compared with the current allocation of €10.7 billion. While the Commission has indicated that member states may supplement CAP funding from their wider NRPP envelopes, which totals €12.2 billion in Ireland's case, we are seeking further clarity on how this would operate in practice, particularly with regard to governance and the conditionality rules that would apply.

Our priorities for the CAP remain. These are a CAP that is more straightforward for farmers, with an appropriate balance between economic, social and environmental sustainability; flexibility for member states to design schemes that suit national systems; and an adequately funded CAP that continues to underpin farm incomes, food security and rural development.

As Ministers, we will play an active role in negotiating with the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, the European Parliament's agriculture committee and my fellow EU agriculture Ministers to ensure Irish priorities are reflected in the final agreement. Ireland will play a key role during its Presidency of the Council of the EU, in the second half of 2026, acting as an honest broker in negotiating workable compromises for an ambitious EU budget and a CAP that underpins the competitiveness and economic and social sustainability of Europe's farming and food sectors. I am very glad the Minister, Deputy Heydon, will be to the fore in all the negotiations because he is excellent and will be very capable of taking on this important role at a critical time for the future of farming in Ireland. What is at stake are family farms. We will have to rely on the political representation we have at the time in question. The work in this regard has started and will continue.

As Minister of State for forestry, farm safety and horticulture, with responsibility for the national strategy for horticulture, I can fully appreciate the value of maintaining momentum in implementing the recommendations of the Food Vision tillage report. These actions are essential to securing the long-term sustainability of the sector. A key part of that sustainability is ensuring we continue to focus on competitiveness and efficiency to drive a more resilient tillage industry.

I am aware that concerns have been raised by Irish farmers about unfair competition from feed imports produced using GM crops and plant-protection products that are no longer authorised in the EU. This is an important issue and one that deserves our full attention. I am also aware that EU farmers, including those represented by Irish farming organisations, have expressed concern about the rapid withdrawal of chemical plant-protection products from the EU market and the slow pace in approving replacement methods for plant protection. While some of the ideas proposed for farming practice are all well and good, we ultimately need workable solutions. We all want to protect the environment, but we must also protect our food and our crops. To do that, we need access to proper, safe and effective chemicals.

The European Commission indicated in Vision for Agriculture and Food, published on 19 February 2025, that it will carefully consider any further non-approvals of plant-protection product active substances where no alternatives are available. To give farmers more alternatives to chemical pesticides, it intends to make a proposal in the fourth quarter of 2025 to accelerate access for biopesticides to the EU market. A Commission proposal for an omnibus simplification regulation on food and feed safety is also expected in the fourth quarter of 2025. The Commission has indicated that this regulation will include proposals to accelerate access to the EU market for biocontrolled substances and products - biopesticides - and to simplify and clarify the regulatory requirements on plant-protection and biocidal products. I am fully supportive of any proposal that includes practical and meaningful measures within the regulatory framework to ensure the approval process is as efficient as possible.

The Vision for Agriculture and Food communication paper also includes an intention to pursue, in line with international rules, a stronger alignment of production standards applied to imported products regarding pesticides. To progress this aim, the Commission will launch an impact assessment later this year to consider international implications and potential impacts on the EU position. If appropriate, it will propose amendments to the current regulatory framework. Our Department will work closely with the Commission and other member states on any proposed changes to the framework for setting maximum residue limits for imported products.

While the cultivation of GMOs in the EU remains very restricted, there are emerging technologies that will allow Irish tillage farmers to gain efficiencies in crop performance, which would be very welcome. The use of new genomic techniques, commonly known as NGTs or gene-editing techniques, represents a significant development of the past two decades. The potential for NGTs to deliver crops with improved traits in a faster way than conventional breeding offers clear benefits for Irish tillage farmers, consumers and the environment. The Commission adopted a proposed regulation on NGTs in July 2023, and I am supportive of it. Our Department continues to engage at EU level to reach agreement on it.

With regard to the Food Vision tillage group, Food Vision 2030 outlines the importance of the tillage sector and includes an ambition to increase the area under tillage crops. Growing the tillage area is also highlighted in the climate action plan, which sets a target to increase the tillage area to 400,000 ha by 2030. The only way this will meaningfully or really happen is by all of us working together and doing everything we can to support people.

Tillage farming in Ireland, given our unpredictable weather, demands a great deal of resilience. We all have to be understanding of the financial and indeed mental pressures that tillage farmers sometimes face. We have all seen that some of our summers and autumns are unbearably wet. Even where land is better than where I come from, farmers get an awful doing from wet weather. It really takes resilience and the frame of mind ingrained in our tillage farmers through simple, hard work and putting up with tough conditions and times. Everybody appreciates that work, and that is why I keep saying that politicians, the Department and those in opposition have to be so understanding of these terribly hard-working people. When the weather and markets are good, they can make a few euro, but when things turn against them, when they lose and when the weather and market are wrong, they take an awful hammering.

Tillage represents one of the most unpredictable and at times unreliable forms of farming. All sectors are volatile and susceptible to market forces but fattening cattle, by comparison with tillage, can sometimes be straightforward enough. In dairy, various problems arise but ultimately it is sometimes easier to read your plan for the next 12 months. Tillage can go very wrong or it can go right, and that is why we are having this debate tonight. I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for allowing it. I am not making little of other debates but Members will know what I mean when I say this debate is terribly important. It allows us to recognise the tillage sector and the fact that we are all stakeholders in it in one form or another. I am thankful for the opportunity to speak.

Deputy Martin Kenny

I welcome this debate also. It is very appropriate that we are having it. We had people from the tillage sector before the agriculture committee about two weeks ago. I made the point to one of them that in my part of the country, County Leitrim, the greatest amount of tillage, which people still talk about, was during the Emergency, when compulsory tillage was introduced by de Valera. Many people are still complaining about it because the land was not appropriate at all for growing crops of the kind that were grown.

Like every other sector of farming, it is all connected. Whatever people are doing, it is connected to another sector. It could be connected with the need to get straw, which they need for bedding, from the tillage industry or with the need to get grain for feed, which also comes from the tillage industry. This is why our interconnected agricultural system needs all its sectors to be working well together.

The Minister of State mentioned that other sectors have had difficult times. The tillage sector is now where many of those other sectors were a few years ago. At the moment, we have great prices for cattle and sheep, etc., but they were very poor for the past decade. The tillage sector is very poor at the moment, and we can go into all the reasons for it. The tillage sector is an integral part of Irish farming, producing high-quality animal feed and bedding for the livestock sector and ingredients for the food and drink industry. The sector makes a significant contribution to the economy, which is estimated at between €1.3 billion and €1.9 billion per annum. It is also important in terms of employment and is estimated to support up to 11,000 full-time jobs or equivalent jobs.

The Minister of State also mentioned the vegetable sector. I understand there are between 4,200 ha and 4,500 ha in field vegetables annually, which are valued at €73 million to €76 million per annum. Ireland is about 60% self-sufficient in vegetables, so that means we have to import 40% of the vegetables we eat in this country. This is something else we need to look at from a food security perspective. The sector employs about 1,000 people.

Around 300,000 tonnes of grain are used in the drinks industry annually in this country. The volume of grain imported annually by the drinks industry is growing each year. This is an important point. It is not a requirement that Irish whiskey or spirits use Irish grain to be classified as Irish. This is an issue. I am not saying that we should have 100% Irish grain in these products, but there should certainly be a percentage of it for them to be labelled as Irish. I understand there can be volatility. The total amount produced can be weather dependent and harvests can go up and down in different years, so this may mean there may need to be imported grain at different times. Between 2014 and 2018, grain imports for the drinks industry ranged between 50,000 tonnes and 135,000 tonnes. Irish farmers have mainly stopped growing grain for human consumption, for example, in products such as flour. Ireland imports the majority of its flour. Around 69% of it comes from the UK, 11% from Germany and 8% from France.

There are, of course, significant challenges in the tillage industry. Grain prices have been on the floor for many years and cheaper imported grains have been coming in from all over the world. We have very high-quality beef and dairy products and much of the feed used in these areas comes from Latin America. There are issues relating to food security, etc. that need to be considered. Europe as a whole has a problem in that we are not producing enough protein within the European Union. This is an issue that needs to be dealt with and one of the opportunities to do that is through the production of grain.

Tillage farmers have been priced out of the market. This is certainly the case in the rental sector in a lot of areas mainly because of the dairy sector. The tillage sector, though, also faces rising costs for machinery, fertiliser, sprays, etc. The Government has committed to there being 400,000 ha by 2030. It is unlikely it is going to meet this target. The 2025 target has not been met. A big part of this, obviously, is the viability of the industry because of the situation we are in with regard to the prices farmers are getting for their products. Sinn Féin would provide proper funding for the tillage and horticulture sector. We need to see this proper funding put in place. These farmers are farming a product that has a much lower carbon footprint than other farming practices. It needs investment and to be able to expand.

We know the tillage sector is in crisis. Even straw prices are on the floor. The sector requires support to prevent the loss of jobs and a further reliance on imports of grain, flour, vegetables and so on. We really need to put in the effort to ensure that this whole sector can come up to the mark and provide the kind of resilience needed within it but farmers will only invest in this sector if they can see there will be an outcome from it.

We had representatives of the tillage industry before the agriculture committee a couple of weeks ago. Matt Dempsey was one of the people who headed up a committee on this issue recently. He made an interesting point. He said the change in EU policy away from one that facilitated the production of grain in Europe was something that happened about 20 years ago. He is talking about the fact that a little bit of protection was put in place then. When prices around the world were very low and that meant grain would flow into Europe from other places, the protection in place meant it could not come in. When prices rose, less protection was applied. There was, therefore, a system that ensured the industry was kept right. It has been taken away and this is a serious issue that must be dealt with.

The Minister also mentioned the quality assurance scheme. A big effort needs to be put in to ensure we put a proper quality assurance scheme in place to provide for the tillage sector across the length and breadth of the country. He mentioned the big meeting, where we heard that up to 1,000 farmers attended. They would not be out doing that if they did not recognise there was a serious problem in this sector. That serious problem requires serious attention and this is why as much effort as we can put into it needs to happen. That should certainly be the case from a financial perspective. However, there are also changes that can happen, such as the stuff about Irish products being classified as Irish without using Irish ingredients. That issue needs to be dealt with. There is also the issue of feed for our animals. An awful lot of it is imported from outside the European Union. This is something else that must be dealt with.

Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan

Just recently, the IFA and the Irish Grain Growers, among others, were invited in to the agriculture committee to tell us what we already knew, namely, that the tillage industry is on its knees. We heard of the struggles facing the tillage sector. I listened to the Minister’s own colleagues call out for support for farmers struggling in every sense of the word. Members from all sides of the House were united and spoke clearly about the need for this Government to support these farmers and recognise the vital contribution they make. Once again, however, those words have rung hollow.

Just last night, questions were put to the Minister’s Department about the tillage sector regarding what new measures would be introduced for 2026 to support tillage farmers. The reply stated, "I fully recognise the pressures facing the tillage sector, not least the very challenging market outlook and downward price pressure this season, and I have recently engaged directly with the farming organisations to hear their concerns." Wait for this. The Minister continued, "This Government recognises the importance of the tillage sector and wants to grow the area under tillage crops". If he does not get his head out of the sand, there will not be any tillage farmers left to grow those crops. For decades, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments have failed to provide the funding and supports our tillage farmers needed to thrive. Budget 2026 is just the latest chapter in this long story of neglect. The numbers speak for themselves. The area of land under tillage has collapsed by over 40% in the past 40 years. We have fallen well short of the Government’s own 2025 targets, with only 344,000 ha this year, thus making the 2030 goal of 400,000 ha highly unlikely.

This is not an accident. It is a direct result of a Government policy that has actively favoured one sector over another, pushing tillage farmers to the brink. We are losing one tillage farm every week. Tillage is a vital sector not only for our food security but also for our economy. It is estimated to be valued at €1.9 billion and to account for 11,000 jobs. We are only 36% self-sufficient in animal feed. We import the majority of our flour and are forcing our world-renowned drinks industry to source more grain from abroad each year.

In face of this crisis, the Minister’s announcement of €50 million is nothing more than spin. He claims to be developing a new scheme but the cold reality is that he has not provided a single extra euro for the struggling farmers. It is the same funding as last year repackaged and re-announced. It falls pathetically short of the €92 million package the sector itself has said it needs to survive and thrive. With grain prices on the floor and input costs soaring, that lack of ambition will be the final blow that will force more hard-working farming families to simply call it a day. Sinn Féin recognises the immense value of tillage farming. It is a sector with a much lower carbon footprint that is a driver of biodiversity and is central to our climate action goals.

Investing in tillage is not just supporting farmers. It is investing in a sustainable, secure future for Irish agriculture. We stand fully with tillage farmers. We would provide the sustainable, multi-annual funding required to stabilise and grow the sector. At a time when farmers are grappling with what is around the corner, including a reduced CAP budget, the Mercosur trade deal and the uncertainty of derogation, this budget was a chance to secure our food security and protect rural jobs and communities.

This budget was a chance to secure our food security and to protect rural jobs and communities.

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness

I have been engaging with tillage farmers across Waterford over recent months. I spoke with the tillage chairman of Waterford IFA. The message from those farmers could not be clearer. They feel unheard, undervalued and let down. They believe the Government is doing absolutely nothing to address the crisis in their sector. Tillage farming is one of the most efficient, low-carbon and environmentally friendly forms of agriculture we have. It should be at the centre of any serious climate and food strategy yet it is being allowed to wither. One farmer put it to me like this last week: "The Government says it wants to increase tillage, but the way things are going, there will be none left in Ireland very soon."

In Waterford, as elsewhere, farmers are facing rising input costs, poor returns and a complete absence of a level playing field. They are competing against imported grain, often from third countries outside the EU where environmental and production standards are far lower. Some of that grain is genetically modified, grown using chemical agents that are banned here and with fertiliser subject to carbon taxes when used in Ireland. Those imports are cheaper, not because they are more efficient or they are better, but because they are less environmentally sustainable. They are a lower grade product in many cases. That is long before we factor in the carbon cost of the long-distance sea shipping for that grain. Meanwhile, Irish tillage farmers operating to world-leading standards are losing money. Many who lease land made significant losses on their crops last year and are likely to do so again next year. It cannot be sustained. The industry cannot sustain losses of that nature for a second year. Despite the rhetoric, this Government's budget offered no real help. The much touted €50 million for tillage is not new money; it simply recycles last year's funding.

The Minister claims to be developing a new scheme, but farmers in Waterford and throughout the country know the truth that there is nothing new in it. They were bitterly disappointed last week with the budget announcement and they do not believe the figures being spun. They are now calling for an inclusion rate for Irish millers, which I support. This is a practical, fair proposal where a defined percentage of grain milled in Ireland must be of Irish origin. That would create a secure market for home-grown grain, reward sustainability and reduce dependence on imports. Will the Minister develop that proposal, discuss it with his officials, take it very seriously and give it the consideration it is due? We in Sinn Féin believe the tillage and horticultural sectors need targeted investment. We would expand domestic grain production, ensure fair market access for Irish grain and back farmers who have delivered on climate and biodiversity goals.

The crisis in the tillage sector reflects a wider failure across agriculture. There is no new funding for TAMS, no support for young farmers or generational renewal, nothing for the beef or suckler sectors and continued underfunding of the TB eradication and ACRE schemes. Farmers are being failed across the board no matter what way you cut it up, despite the announcements. Farmers in Waterford and throughout rural Ireland deserve fairness, respect and a Government that values the family farm and family farming. Sinn Féin will continue to stand with tillage farmers, listen to them and do our best to secure a sustainable and home-grown future for Irish agriculture.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Before our next speaker, I welcome Clontarf Tidy Towns to the Public Gallery. I do not know what kind of tillage they have out there but I hope they enjoy the debate. They are here at the invitation of Deputy Heneghan.

Deputy Sorca Clarke

The Minister said earlier that the tillage sector was an integral part of Irish farming. I happen to agree with him; it truly is. It is the backbone of farming in many of our communities. It contributes almost €1.9 billion annually to the economy and supports up to 11,000 jobs. That is something we need to take seriously. Despite that, our local tillage sector is under severe pressure. I know that from speaking with tillage farmers in my area. There has been a 42% reduction in tillage area since 1980 and a 50% reduction in the past decade. The majority of tillage produce goes toward livestock feed, yet we still import 3.5 million tonnes of animal feed every year. Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of grain are used in the drinks industry annually, yet the volume of grain imported by that industry is growing year on year. It is not a requirement for Irish whiskey and the likes to actually use Irish grain to be classed as Irish. We now import the majority of our flour and about 40% of vegetables. Adding to that is the ongoing lack of management of our waterways, particularly along the River Shannon, something our guests from Clontarf will be very familiar with in terms of flooding.

Five years ago, Deputies Kenny, Kerrane and I introduced a Bill, the River Shannon Management Agency Bill, to put one single authority into place to combine the works of the ESB, Waterways Ireland and the local authorities across those 11 counties. The Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae spoke of the mental pressure experienced by tillage farmers. There is no greater pressure on tillage farmers than standing knee-deep in water for the majority of the year. It is absolutely soul-destroying for them. Farmers along the Shannon know too well the impact of flooding that could and should be prevented. It is not just acres that lie underwater for weeks and months on end; it is farms, livelihoods, dreams and prospects. It is worsening every year. Gone are the days where it lasted for a few weeks and it was back to being dry. In some places it is wet almost nine or ten months of the year. This past week alone the Callows flooded again, yet there is still no single authority in charge of the River Shannon. The OPW, ESB, Waterways Ireland and the councils are all involved but there is no accountability. Farmers told RTÉ that their livelihoods were being destroyed as water levels rise. The local press reported emergency efforts around Athlone with ESB saying the flow was now beyond control.

It is simply getting harder for tillage farmers to farm. Yes, the land under tillage is being reduced. The grain prices are on the floor. There is competition from abroad with GM crops being cheaper. There are rising costs for machinery, diesels and fertiliser. You name it and the price has gone up. What we also have is a lack of drainage and water management. That has now become a core productivity activity for these farmers. It is not a side project. If we want seed beds in March and combines in August, we must get a practical solution to the issues along the Shannon, including maintenance where it is needed, timely decisions made on those decisions and a single authority to manage the river. No amount of SIM payments is going to matter a flying fiddlers if the fields are underwater.

Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin

As the Minister and Ministers of State know, farmers are in intense crisis at the moment following two absolutely terrible years. Will the Government introduce a proper area-based payment tillage incentive scheme? Currently, the Government is giving €40 per acre whereas it needs to be at least €100 per acre or €250 per ha, as requested by the farming organisations that I have met with on a number of occasions. That needs to be done as a matter of urgency. Farmers are being fleeced. There are rising input costs, machinery costs, fertiliser costs, sprays, diesel and other items in the local hardware shop have gone up. They have less money to spend locally, so we are all being affected either directly or indirectly. Fertiliser prices have tripled since the Ukrainian war. How can farmers withstand three times the price?

The Government closed down our own fertiliser factory in Arklow in my local area in 2002. Just three years later, it torpedoed the sugar beet industry in the south-east and beyond. However, barley now amazingly costs the same as it did back in 1974, the year I started school and ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest. That is how long ago it is. The drinks industry uses around 300,000 tonnes of grain annually. We do not have enough grain in Ireland. At the very minimum, we should use all the Irish grain first before mass importation. Deputy Kenny just pointed out the idiocy of how Irish whiskey does not need to have Irish grain in it. I am sure the Minister will agree that this needs to be examined straight away.

Mass importation of products certainly was not the vision of the patriotic founding fathers of this country, of the Proclamation or the democratic programme of the First Dáil. They spoke about having some level of economic independence, whereas at the moment we are becoming a dependent vassal State rather than a sovereign one. Ireland has mainly stopped growing grain for human consumption. The majority of flour is imported - 69% from the UK, 11% from Germany and 8% from France. That is why I salute the farmers in the south-east last week who blockaded a boat coming into Wexford with 300,000 tonnes of foreign barley. Direct action like the French farmers engage in is something good that we can import from France. This imported grain is substandard and often has black grass, which is an invasive species. It is genetically modified and it comes with a massive carbon footprint. It does not make any sense.

With Mercosur, we are, insanely, flooding the European market with 90,000 tonnes of untraceable beef, grown in place of the rainforests that have been cut down in South America. We are saying that is a sustainable solution. It is absolute lunacy. At the same time, Irish farmers are highly regulated and over-regulated. If things do not change, we could have a food shortage in years to come.

A tillage farmer in my area, Thomas Kenny, wants to hand the baton to his son, 15-year-old Tomás, whom I taught years ago. He is a great farmer and is absolutely passionate about it. He lives for farming. Can the Government guarantee that Tomás will have a future? Thomas, the father, does not know whether he should hand the farm to his son. He could be handing him a white elephant if he cannot make money from it and does not have a livelihood. Will the Minister and the Ministers of State introduce, at the very least, a proper, area-based tillage incentive scheme of at least €100 per acre? We need it before we drive the final nail into the coffin of Irish farming and drive farmers off the land altogether, which is something we in this country have now been doing for 6,000 years. Something needs to change urgently.

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú

The Minister spoke earlier about what needs to be done to protect family farms. We have all spoken about that issue many times. We know the dangers that are oncoming for farmers. Many of my colleagues have already spoken about fears over the loss of the nitrates derogation. There is also absolute fear around Mercosur. We require the Government to step up to the mark on these dangers and the possible changes we are looking at in CAP funding.

I have just come from a meeting of the Joint Committee on EU Affairs. Last week, the committee met representatives of the Council of the Regions and we met this afternoon with representatives of the regional assemblies. One of the issues they brought up was the issue of CAP funding and cohesion funding becoming one and the same, and a cut to that funding. That will have an impact not only on farmers but also on the wider community. They all spoke of other things that need to be done, including streamlining and the resources that are required, but that would be beyond the remit and I could not possibly talk about it at the moment.

We are here to talk about the tillage sector. As has been said by many previously, it has not been an easy time. While some circumstances have improved in some of the other sectors, we are dealing with a move away from tillage farming. There has been a 42% reduction in tillage since 1980, including a 15% reduction in the past decade. The majority of Irish tillage produce goes towards livestock feed, but we still import approximately 3.5 million tonnes of animal feed every year. We are only 36% self-sufficient in respect of animal feed. The Government previously stated its intention to increase that percentage, but we have not seen the follow-through from a budgetary point of view. Farmers would say they have not seen the colour of the Government's money in that regard.

As many of my colleagues have said, 3,000 tonnes of grain are used in the drinks industry annually. While that is growing, year on year, it is not a requirement that Irish whiskey and spirits use Irish grain in order to be classed as Irish whiskey or spirits. Many people would not believe you if you told them that. Many things need to be addressed in that regard.

We grow approximately 4,200 ha to 4,500 ha of field vegetables annually. That is valued somewhere between €73 million and €76 million. We are only about 60% self-sufficient. We can all work out the mathematics. Approximately 40% are imported.

We are dealing with a sector that provides a huge amount of employment but I do not think that the work has been done in relation to this. The Government promised €50 million in the budget for the tillage sector, but the expectation would be for a lot more. That amount is the same as was given last year. We know the tillage sector was looking for a package of €92 million over five years, which would give a payment of €350 per hectare. We need to offer something substantial in order to deliver.

Deputy Robert O'Donoghue

The budget that was announced two weeks ago has revealed what this Government really thinks about Irish agriculture. Despite the pre-election promises, farming received barely a minute's mention across the two ministerial budget day speeches on 7 October. Within that silence, the story of the Irish tillage sector stands out as truly symbolic, a measure of neglect and a reflection of how disconnected Government policy has become from the reality on the ground.

Despite the huge effort made by farming organisations, the Irish Farmers Association, the Irish Grain Growers, Tillage Industry Ireland, Teagasc and many others to get Irish crop production back on track, the response from the Government so far has been painfully inadequate. Only a few weeks ago, over 1,000 people gathered in Naas for the tillage crisis meeting. That event was not just another farm meeting; it was a cry for help. Farmers came from every corner of the country to say clearly that Irish tillage is in crisis. To his credit, the Minister, Deputy Heydon, attended that meeting. He heard directly from farmers about the fault lines that threaten the future of Irish tillage. They have been told that a support package is on the way. Why the delay? Why, with the autumn planting season already well under way, do farmers still have no clarity about the scale, scope or duration of this promised support? Will it be yet another one-year stopgap, or will it be a strategic, multiannual plan over the term of this Government that gives tillage a viable future? We must give confidence to the farmers who work in tillage and want to stay working in it.

Right now, growers are sowing winter crops and paying for expensive seed, sprays, fertiliser, fuel and machinery. They are making major commercial commitments, even as many are still waiting to be paid for grain harvested weeks ago. It all adds up to rising debt and pressure at a time when many tillage farmers are already on their knees. Cash-flow is tight. Credit is stretched. Goodwill from banks and suppliers has limits. As every businessperson knows, you need money to stay viable and right now, large numbers of tillage farmers are being starved of it.

It is not enough for the Government to promise support. It must ensure that funds reach farmers' bank accounts quickly. Every week of delay adds to the financial strain and the risk that good tillage land will be lost, perhaps permanently, to other uses.

Now, thankfully, the weather has turned in farmers' favour. Ground conditions are good and planting has resumed strongly. Make no mistake, however, that had the rain continued after Storm Amy, many would have been making very hard choices. We are one bad season away from collapse in large parts of the tillage sector. Farm organisations want clarity on the details of this so-called new tillage support package, which, we are told, was confirmed in budget 2026. Let us be honest that farmers across the country are looking at this announcement with disappointment and frustration.

There is growing speculation that the Government will offer a multiannual support package for the tillage sector. However, all the indications suggest this will be a targeted scheme, limited to certain crops, and far too narrow in scope to deliver the support our grain growers urgently need. The reality is that the budget 2026 announcement fell well short of what the Irish Grain Growers, and indeed the entire tillage community, have been calling for. The Irish Grain Growers has said clearly that this Government does not fully appreciate the consequences of failing to properly support tillage, whether through direct programmes or through fair taxation measures. It is right.

As a result of this Government's short-sighted approach, the tillage area is likely to shrink in the coming years. When tillage land is lost, we do not just lose crops; we lose biodiversity, increase greenhouse gas emissions per acre and drive up our reliance on imported, genetically modified foodstuffs.

That is the bitter irony here. Every acre of tillage lost means more imported feed, more pressure on water quality and more risk of carbon fines for the State. The consequences are environmental, economic and strategic. Investing in Irish tillage makes sense for our climate targets, for our food security and for rural livelihoods, but once again, this Government has failed to recognise that. The IFA estimates that the budget’s allocation for grain producers falls well short of the €65 million the sector needs to remain viable. This is yet another example of a Government out of touch with rural Ireland, a Government that talks about sustainability but fails to sustain the very people producing our food. It is time to stop with the half-measures and short-term schemes. It is time for a real, long-term commitment to the tillage sector - one that matches the ambition and resilience of Irish farmers themselves.

The sector’s representative organisations asked for €65 million in targeted support, not as a handout but as an investment in Irish food production, in sustainability and in our food security, but even this amount is only a sticking plaster. We need Government policy and a strong commitment from the Minister.

Teagasc has already warned that tillage incomes will decline again in 2026 driven by poor global prices, high input costs and reduced CAP support. Fertiliser costs, in particular, remain a major concern. Deputy Ó Murchú referenced the Joint Committee on EU Affairs meeting which I also attended. In terms of cohesion funding and farmers, nobody wants to be rolled into the same pot. We can all agree with that. That will be from 2027 onwards and will be another concern for tillage farmers.

The Minister has promised to do his best and recognises pressure on farm incomes but would not commit to that €65 million but farmers cannot pay bills with promises. Farmers want action and certainty. They want respect for the commitments already made in the programme for Government - commitments to grow the tillage sector, to strengthen our domestic grain sector and to build genuine food security.

We have already seen what happens when Government walks away from a key agricultural industry. We cannot allow tillage to go the same way because tillage is not a fringe activity; it is a cornerstone of Irish agriculture. Those farmers, in turn, deserve support to keep those supply chains alive. When tillage was in a better position last year, the Government stepped in with a support package. Now, when the situation is worse, the response must be stronger. The programme for Government commitments were not conditional; they were clear, and now they must be honoured in full.

Tillage farmers are not looking for handouts. They are looking for fairness. They are looking for recognition of the essential role they play in the Irish food and drink production industries and in the rural economy. Without urgent action, that role, and that expertise, will disappear and when it does, Ireland will have lost more than a sector. We will have lost a vital part of our national identity and our food sovereignty.

I am calling on the Ministers and the Government to act before another generation of tillage farmers says enough is enough. They need clarity on the supports they will get and I urge the Minister to give that clarity as soon as possible.

Deputy George Lawlor

As has been outlined in stark detail by many of my colleagues in the Chamber, our country's tillage farmers are in a serious crisis, not least in my home county of Wexford. Farmers who have long been the backbone of our agricultural diversity, our food security and our environmental ambition. Today, they face a crisis that is not of their making but one that demands our urgent attention and decisive action by this Government. Despite favourable weather and strong yields in 2025, the economic reality for tillage farmers is bleak. Grain prices remain depressed. Forward prices this spring were just €212 per tonne for wheat and €200 per tonne for barley. Indeed, looking at Tirlán grain pricing for harvest 2025, feed barley is €192 per tonne and feed wheat at €200 per tonne and malting barley at €222 per tonne.

Teagasc forecasts the average income on tillage farms at 43% but this includes mixed farms. Crucially, much of the income Teagasc is predicting is bolstered by livestock enterprises, not just crop production on its own. For many tillage farmers, particularly those on leased land, 2025 has been a year of operating at a great loss. This is not just a financial crisis; it is a structural one.

It is a crisis of confidence, of viability and of future prospects. Last month, as has been mentioned, over 1,000 farmers gathered in Naas in County Kildare, united in their message that tillage farming is on the brink. They called for a minimum of €65 million in annual support. The Irish Grain Growers went further, seeking €92 million to stabilise the sector, and yet budget 2026 has delivered just €50 million. That includes €20 million for existing schemes such as straw chopping and the protein payment, and €30 million for a new tillage support scheme. Of course, the details of this scheme remain vague. This response is not proportionate to the scale of the crisis. It is not ambitious enough and it is not urgent enough.

We have to recognise that tillage farming is not just an economic activity; it is also a climate solution. Recent studies have shown that imported dairy feeds generate 800 kg more of CO2 per tonne than Irish-grown grain. Every acre of tillage lost to grassland is a step backwards in our climate goals. Every tonne of imported grain is a missed opportunity to support Irish produce. The notion that imported grain is being used to produce our famous Irish whiskey is absolutely nonsensical. The notion we are taking grain from all parts of the world to produce our legendary Irish whiskey beggars belief.

This is a moment for leadership to support this sector. It is essential we commit to a multi-annual support package that reflects the strategic importance of tillage farming. We need targeted schemes that reward environmental stewardship and economic sustainability. We also need generational renewal with real incentives for young farmers to enter and remain in the sector. We also have to ensure payments are timely, transparent and sufficient. We cannot expect farmers to plant winter crops with borrowed money while they remain unpaid for the grain they harvested months ago. It is simply not viable or feasible. From the conversations I have been having, every farmer in the tillage sector feels forgotten. Their work, enterprise and industry in that sector matters and we have to see the struggle they are in and let them know their voices are heard in this House. It is essential we do not allow this crisis to become the collapse of one of our national industries. It is essential that we do not just sow crops. We have to just give these people hope for their futures and families' futures, for succession in this industry. It is not just about cultivating land; it is about a vision we have for rural Ireland and the sectors within that. We need to ensure they remain vibrant, sustainable and just.

I urge the Minister to look at this sector with the necessary means and to provide the farmers who offer not just tillage but a sustainable answer to many of our climate issues the support, funding, finance and hope they truly and richly deserve.

Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere

I welcome these statements on the tillage sector. I know first hand that the tillage sector is a vital part of the agrifood sector. I see it where I am from in places like Paulstown, Danesfort, Callan, Tullaroan, Ballyragget, Mooncoin and Graiguenamanagh, where the tillage sector is as vibrant as ever. It contributes over €1.3 billion annually to the Irish economy yet the sector is in decline. The area under tillage has decreased by 40% in 40 years. According to the IFA, the recent decline in area can be principally attributed to a reduction in cereal production, which has dropped by 50,000 ha since 2012. Ireland now has one of the lowest percentages of land devoted to arable cropping in the EU, at a little over 6% of the utilisable agricultural area. The sector faces huge input prices, competition for land against other sectors and low global markets.

Budget 2026 provided funding of at least €50 million to the tillage sector. This will be channelled through various schemes. These measures will help to support tillage farm incomes and provide a strong base to protect the future of tillage farming, in particular young tillage farmers. Last night in questions to the Minister for agriculture, I welcomed his intention to consult the various stakeholders on the design and operation of a new tillage scheme in due course. I look forward to engagement with the Minister in relation to that. I ask that our younger farmers be to the forefront of any negotiations and conversations. The programme for Government specifically has a measure which states we will "Invest significantly in the tillage sector over five years to maintain and grow the sector". I acknowledge the recent budget was budget one of five. I understand the constraints within the fiscal situation we find ourselves in, but we need to find more money for the agricultural sector and the tillage sector. While I do not wish to take away from other sectors one bit, I stress that the tillage sector needs to be protected and looked after. There is a specific measure in the programme for Government which states we will "Examine facilities for processing of Irish crops and explore openings for oilseed and milling wheat processing." That is definitely an area we can explore and where there can be big wins.

I will speak specifically about Irish whiskey. There were mutterings earlier in the year about the intention to reopen the technical files on Irish whiskey. Currently, Irish whiskey is defined as "A spirit distilled on the Island of Ireland ... from a mash of malted cereals with or without whole grains of other cereals". By this definition, there is no requirement to use Irish grain in the production of Irish whiskey. In my constituency, we have a fantastic distillery, Ballykeefe Distillery, which is all home-grown in Kilkenny. It is a fantastic enterprise. What Morgan and the family do there is unbelievable. By contrast, Irish cream liqueur must contain Irish milk and English whiskey must be made with UK-grown grain. Something has to be done in that regard. I would welcome if these technical files were reopened. I would be very supportive of requiring Irish whiskey to be made with grain grown in Ireland. I acknowledge there are challenges in terms of the amount of grain we produce but it should be looked at. This would seem an obvious way to support the struggling tillage sector, along with homes, families and farmers in Thomastown, Myshall, Ballinkillen, Castlecomer, Kells, Stonyford, Kilmacow, Gowran and Lisdowney, to mention a couple of places where the tillage sector is strong in my constituency.

An Ceann Comhairle

I call Deputy Malcolm Byrne. I hope he can name as many places in Wexford.

Deputy Malcolm Byrne

I can, but I will not be able to do so in the time allowed. I welcome the debate. That the Minister and both Ministers of State from the Department are present speaks to a recognition of the seriousness of the challenge facing the tillage sector. I have raised this issue with the Minister on a number of occasions on the floor of the House and privately. I know he is aware of the challenge. Colleagues have outlined that in great detail. I want to specifically take on remarks by my Sinn Féin constituency colleague, who accused the Minister of not understanding agriculture. At the same time, he derided trade, attacked the European Union and engaged in anti-EU rhetoric that would not be out of place in the mouth of Nigel Farage of the Reform Party. It shows how Sinn Féin has failed to understand agriculture with its anti-trade and anti-EU policies, particularly now as so many in opposition have fallen into the vortex of People Before Profit manifesto policies.

To deal specifically with the question of tillage, it is critical, particularly acting on budget issues, that the Minister engages with farm organisations such as the IFA and the Irish Grain Growers group and, as my colleague, Deputy Cleere, outlined, with younger farmers. I hope Macra na Feirme and tillage farmers involved in Macra na Feirme will also be at the table. As the Minister knows, winter crop is going in this week. The difficulty, unlike in many other sectors and businesses where farmers generally know what their input costs are, they do not know what prices they will get next year. If we are to look at a long-term strategy, we have to find a way to put an income floor in place for Irish growers and measures to guarantee family farms that they will be able to continue, that we will have a sustainable model for farmers and that we can meet our climate action plan target of 400,000 ha by 2030. Guaranteeing that economic floor is critical, perhaps by providing for a basic income for tillage farmers based on the model of the basic income for artists which the Government has continued to pursue.

Our challenge, if we are to get to 400,000 ha, is that approximately 1,400 farmers have left tillage in the past three years. Many small tillage farmers left simply because of the lack of certainty. The Minister will discuss and negotiate with farm organisations and those who have skin in the game. I welcome that there will be a focus on smaller farmers. Some of the larger ones, because of economy of scale, will not be hit to the same extent. I share the view of colleagues that there has to be an urgency about this. Farmers are planting at the moment. They do not know what the situation will be next year. It is important that the Minister provides certainty in that regard as soon as possible. We also need to examine the broader sector and whether there is sufficient competition when it comes to the grain merchants to ensure there is domestic competition so that farmers get a reasonable price. I know the Minister has been in regular contact with Commissioner Hansen on his belief around generational renewal but sustaining the family farm is critical in terms of some of the CAP measures. I ask during the EU Presidency that the Minister ensures if we are to look at the sustainability of farms financially and environmentally, the family is at the heart of that.

The Minister spoke a lot about new technology and how it can help. It will be critical in terms of investment. Artificial intelligence can be used for example to inform tillage farmers where to plant seeds and how to monitor soil quality. I commend the work of the Walton Institute in South East Technological University in this space. I welcome the Minister's commitment in his speech to new milling facilities. I will not repeat the comments that colleagues made about whiskey but the Minister will know we continue to import most flour. It is critical from a food security perspective as much as anything else that we develop flour-milling facilities on a commercial basis in Ireland. I raise again the proposal before the Minister from the Kavanagh brothers at Ballycarney, County Wexford. His Department has been very helpful on this. There is strong support from Enterprise Ireland for a capital support scheme.

I raised it recently with the Minister, Deputy Burke, because this scheme is coming from the Department of enterprise. I ask the Minister, Deputy Heydon, to liaise with him to ensure this scheme is launched as soon as possible so we have the potential to get a commercial flour mill up and running in Ireland. Obviously, in north Wexford we hope the Kavanagh brothers would be successful in that proposal, but it will provide a market for our tillage farmers as well. The Minister recognises the importance of this crisis; it is also important that he recognise the urgency of it.

Deputy Erin McGreehan

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the future of the tillage sector. Recently I met representatives of Louth IFA and they made their concerns crystal clear. Tillage farmers are very proud of what they produce but they are under real pressure. Rising input costs, unpredictable weather, global market volatility and competition for land have all combined to squeeze margins, often to breaking point.

Louth may be Ireland’s smallest county, but its contribution to agriculture is in no way small. The grain grown in the Boyne Valley and right up to the Cooley Peninsula is among the finest in the country. However, as is the case elsewhere, tillage acreage is slipping. Nationally, we have seen a 40% decline in tillage area over the past 40 years. It is down to about 334,000 ha. We must buck that trend as it cannot continue. Fianna Fáil has taken real action to support the sector and since 2020, the Government has provided more direct funding to tillage than any before it. The €10.9 million under the protein aid scheme, €15.5 million through the straw incorporation measure, the unharvested crop support and once-off payments for oilseed and cereal crops offered crucial relief after really difficult seasons.

Budget 2026 commits at least €50 million to tillage supports. That is a clear signal the Government is serious about sustaining farm incomes and securing the long-term viability of the sector. However, as Louth IFA rightly told me, it is not just about supports but about markets. Irish grain is among the most low carbon in the world. That is an extraordinary asset to have in the economy and we should be really pushing it. We should use that as an advantage to reduce feed imports and strengthen links between the drinks and food industries. There is opportunity, as others have said, to align the Irish whiskey industry more closely with Irish grain. There is no requirement for Irish whiskey to use Irish cereals and that needs to change. If “Irish” is on the label, it should mean Irish grown. The fantastic Cooley Distillery could only be better with more Irish grain.

The Food Vision tillage group has set a target of expanding to 400,000 ha by 2030. It is achievable if we tackle land access, ensure fair pricing, create more markets and reward environmental performance. The rewards are real. It is about thriving rural communities and the family farm model surviving. The message from Louth is clear: farmers are ready to invest, innovate and contribute to our climate goals. What they need is confidence and a policy and a market that will stand with them. I look forward to seeing real growth in our tillage sector in County Louth.

Deputy Paula Butterly

I thank the Minister for the support he has offered to farmers since taking up the role. I have spent many a day and many an hour discussing the issues facing farmers and I thank him for the support, especially for the farmers of County Louth. In his opening statement, the Minister addressed the issues and challenges facing tillage farmers in particular. These include downward pricing, the cost of land and the increasing costs they have to face in order to produce as much as they do year in and year out. We have seen a lower yield from spring crops compared with winter crops. The schemes that have been introduced and the ones that have been kept are therefore very much welcomed by tillage farmers in particular.

Tillage farmers are proud people. They rarely come cap in hand looking for supports. While they recognise the importance of this scheme, they also recognise that in order to be sustainable, we must address the issues head-on and continuously. We must offer them solutions where they get value for money for the crops they sow and harvest, whether it is for cattle feed or the production of whiskey and food items. We must work alongside them to ensure they can achieve those goals. This has been a primary concern for them over the last number of years. They continue to sow and harvest but they rarely reap the benefits. We need to work with them not just today or in six months. They do not want a scheme that lasts for one year, meaning they have to come cap in hand once again the next year. When we talk about CAP reform, they want to see a reform that will embrace them, not shut them out.

When they talk about producing for future generations, they want to have the confidence to talk to their sons and daughters and even their grandchildren and tell them farming is worth doing. Farming is not just a job. It is not a career. It is the closest thing you will get to being a priest or a nun these days. It is a vocation. It is for the love of the land that we do it. I say that as the daughter of a farmer. We go back six generations, if I am not mistaken. It was never about making money. It was about sustaining the land, keeping the land in the family and passing it on to the next generation. While we put these schemes in place, we must look further than that. Very often when a farmer has talked to me, they have wondered why they would ask their son or daughter to go into the land if there is nothing there for them. They say they have educated their children and sent them out into the world, yet there is nothing for them to come back to. That is our responsibility. We talk about schemes, CAP reform and Mercosur but we also have to talk about the intergenerational aspect and how farming is passed on. It might seem a little separate from statements on tillage, but I have spoken to the Minister about how necessary it is to look at the concept of the young farmer and how, when we talk about our sons and daughters, perhaps we should be looking at the next generation, the grandchildren. Sometimes the father rubs up against the son and very often it is the grandchild who shows the true interest. However, the way we have devised things means that grandchild is shut out of reaping the benefits of any incentives or tax schemes we have. This must be addressed.

I thank the Minister for the support. I have attended the meetings, particularly the one in Naas. I thank him and the Ministers of State for their support of the agricultural community. As he said in his opening statement, it is a very significant sector of our economy. It supplies 11,000 jobs, but let us not forget it goes wider than that, into our rural communities. It provides jobs at our local shops and teaching posts in our rural schools. It is the essence that builds on communities and the very rural communities we strive day in, day out to help survive and thrive. It is a sector that, as the Minister said, produces €1.9 billion in the economy, and that is a fraction of what its potential could be if we were to incorporate and recognise the importance of having “Irish” on a label and recognise tillage farmers’ contribution to that premium Irish produce that is sold across the world. I thank the Minister but I stress we must do more not just today but in the years to come.

Deputy Aindrias Moynihan

I very much welcome the opportunity to have this debate on a hugely important topic, namely, the tillage sector and the phenomenal pressure the people who make it up feel under. It is a sector that is critical to our agrifood sector. It produces quality animal feed, bedding, ingredients for our food and drink sector and contributes over €1.3 billion annually to the agrifood sector. It is hugely important. The tillage sector feels under great pressure, especially over the last two to three years, which have been very difficult. There has been pressure over a prolonged time, with people leaving the sector at a rate of one farmer every week and the area under tillage falling by some 40% over the last 40 years.

I had an opportunity to meet with the grain growers group and a number of others as well who are very concerned about the sector from the food security point of view, as well as biodiversity because of the food it provides to wildlife. Tillage crops have a low-carbon footprint, which has implications for climate change.

I welcome the funding the Minister has set aside in the budget and the fact there is going to be consultation with various stakeholders on how it will be distributed.

There was a great welcome in some quarters for the funding, but the welcome from other quarters may have been less enthusiastic, such as the grain growers I had an opportunity to meet. They had requested a five-year sustainability and expansion programme for tillage with greater funding to allow them to plan further and to have more reliability. They also requested a per-hectare payment of some €350.

They have felt under huge pressure over a long time. That is due not just to the price of the crops but also to the way the competition is imbalanced. They have to compete with genetically modified crops coming from abroad. It is a global price and the price of the crop in North America will influence the price they can get here at home. When they produce their crop and send it to the market, they do not know what kind of price they are going to get. They must wait to get a price. They only get one cheque in the year and do not know what will follow it.

There is also a great deal of pressure due to land rental costs. There is savage competition, with others being able to outbid them on it. Then we have the rising costs of production, the price of diesel, fertilisers, machinery and so on.

There are no quick fixes. I am conscious of the plan the Minister is putting in place with the €50 million. There are other measures that could be introduced to provide support as well. For example, Irish whiskey is a globally known product, and while there is a requirement to use Irish water, there is no requirement for it to contain Irish malt in order to call itself Irish. Is that not a measure for the Minister to take a look at to see if there is an opportunity to ensure that the Irish whiskey industry would have to use Irish produced grain to call it Irish whiskey? That is a practical measure that would support the sector, as it would increase the amount of the product that would be needed.

Fáiltím go mór roimh an díospóireacht ar an gceist fhíorthábhachtach seo maidir leis an tslí go bhfuil brú ar fheirmeoirí curadóireachta. Tá siad ag cur ar fáil táirgí atá an-mhaith i gcomhair chúrsaí bia agus dí agus do chothú na n-ainmhithe. Tá brú mór orthu le roinnt blianta anuas ach go háirithe. Tá titim thart ar 40% ar an achar talún atá faoi ghrán faoin tráth seo le 40 bliain anuas. Aithním go raibh dul chun cinn leis an maoiniú a cuireadh ar fáil leis an gcáinaisnéis le déanaí agus an tslí go mbeidh an tAire ag plé leis na grúpaí éagsúla mar gheall ar conas an t-airgead sin a chaitheamh, ach ní raibh gach aon ghrúpa lánsásta in aon chor leis. Bhíodar faoi an-chuid brú agus bhíodar ag lorg i bhfad níos mó airgid chun tacú leo.

Díreoidh mé ar shlí amháin praiticiúil go bhféadfaí cabhrú leo nach mbeadh costas rómhór leis. Baineann sé le huisce beatha atá á tháirgeadh sa tír seo. Tuigim nach gá ach go n-úsáidfí uisce ón tír seo chun go mbeifí ábalta fuisce Éireannach a ghlaoch air. Surely is féidir a chinntiú go mbeadh orthu grán ón tír seo a úsáid. Neartódh sé na feirmeoirí atá ann agus bheadh éileamh breise ar ghrán. Is céim phraiticiúil a bheadh ann. Mar sin, tá go leor céimeanna eile leagtha amach ag na feirmeoirí.

Grain growers have laid out a range of other practical steps that could support them. I expect they will reinforce those points with the Minister in his forthcoming engagement with the sector on the distribution of the budget funding.

Deputy William Aird

I welcome the opportunity this evening to speak on the tillage sector. I thank all the tillage farmers in County Laois who voted for me in the general election.

The tillage sector is a vital and strategic part of Irish agriculture, the rural economy and our environmental ambitions. It is a cornerstone of our agrifood system. Across Ireland, 344,000 ha are devoted to tillage, supporting around 7,000 farm families and 11,000 full-time equivalent jobs in contracting, machinery, haulage, storage, and processing. Our tillage farmers produce high-quality grains that underpin everything from potatoes, porridge and cereals to brewing, distilling and the animal feed industry. Tillage is essential to food security, feed security and environmental sustainability.

Although it covers only 8% of agricultural land, tillage generates €1.3 billion in annual output and sustains thousands of local businesses. Every euro earned on a tillage farm circulates several times in the local economy, supporting jobs, shops and rural services. The sector provides raw materials for the malting, brewing and distilling industries, the milling sector and the animal feed industry, supporting world-class dairy, beef and pig sectors. Strengthening domestic production keeps value at home, reduces imports and enhances food and feed security.

Tillage is a low-emission and land-efficient sector central to our national sustainability goals. It produces very little methane and less than 2 tonnes of carbon per hectare, which is among the lowest in Irish farming. Climate Action Plan 2024 recognises this. It mentions tillage 43 times, highlighting its potential to balance emissions and strengthen national food security.

In spite of that, the sector faces worrying trends. The tillage area has declined by 40% in 40 years. Some 3,000 ha have been lost since the tillage incentive scheme ended and 1,398 farmers have left the sector since 2022. Tillage farmers face many pressures. Approximately 44% lost money in 2024. That figure comes from Teagasc, not me. Input costs are soaring, international markets are volatile and there is competition for land. Under convergence, CAP payments are declining.

Despite the challenges, the sector has huge potential. Current supports, like the protein aid scheme and the straw incorporation measure, are not enough. A long-term plan is needed, with clear growth targets aligned with economic and environmental goals. There must be improved access to finance and capital grants. There must also be more research and innovation. Better integration with the livestock sector is needed to secure the use of Irish-grown feed. That is vital. I ensure that all the feed I buy has Irish grain in it - nothing else. The Minister could also consider new risk-management tools like income-stabilisation funds or weather-indexed insurance.

Expanding the tillage area should be treated as a national strategic priority under Food Vision 2030 and the climate action plan.

The tillage sector is a strategic pillar of Irish agriculture, a generator of rural employment, a driver of exports, a provider of food and feed security and a partner in achieving climate goals.

I attended every meeting in County Laois when we lost the beet. That caused a huge dent in the tillage sector. I was a county councillor at that time. I am now a Dáil Deputy representing the cereal growers in County Laois and I certainly do not want to stand up in this House year after year saying we are losing more people from the tillage sector. The tillage sector is of huge importance to us. We must learn from the past.

There are 200,000 suckler cows gone out of the system. Thousands of suckler farmers are no longer involved in that business. I believe that, hand on heart, had we engaged earlier with that sector, we would not have the situation we now have. I am delighted for those people who stayed with it, given the price of cattle today. It showed up everything for what it was, that is, the profits being made at the killing line by those who made money off the backs of the farmers who were producing the best cattle that could be produced. Unfortunately, those farmers were forced out of the industry. That is why I am so passionate when I speak about the tillage sector. I do not want to see the same happen to them.

About 1,000 people attended Killashee House - I also attended - not for a night out but to plead their case and to try to get an intervention before it was too late. I acknowledge the work the Minister for agriculture is doing but this sector of our agriculture is in a crisis situation at the moment. Supporting Irish tillage means Ireland will continue to lead in high quality, climate conscious food and feed production.

Deputy Joe Neville

Although I am a TD for Kildare North, I do not profess to have the same knowledge of the tillage sector or indeed the agrisector as the previous speaker, Deputy William Aird, who is from my neighbouring county of Laois. At the same time, I can speak to our unity in regard to the farmers of Ireland and the work they do. Four weeks ago I attended a public meeting in Killashee House. Deputy Aird was there along with a number of public representatives. Most public representatives in attendance were from this side of the House and indeed from our party. In fact, I think all of them were from our side of the House. There were 800 people in the room. We counted as best we could. I sat off to the side but at the front was the Minister, Deputy Heydon, who was there for two to three hours. He spoke to 800 tillage farmers and gave his views. More importantly, he listened to what was being said from the floor. He engaged in-depth and took the hard questions. It was not easy to stand up that night with people's livelihoods at stake. Ultimately, that is what we are here to represent tonight. We are representing those people, those families, those dreams and that future. We want to represent them in the best way possible.

As for my background in farming, in my housing estate in Leixlip, there is not much farming. However, my dad came from a dairy farm and my mother from a small farm in rural north Roscommon. There was no tillage farming. However, every day we benefit from and live off the tillage farmers in this country, so we must protect them.

It was evident that night in Killashee House that there was an awareness that costs are increasing. The yields were strong this summer but the prices have not increased in line with those costs. We hear about the costs and we have to listen to that. As someone who was not as knowledgeable as the other people in the room, what came across to me was that there was competition in regard to grain from all across Europe, especially from eastern Europe. Our farmers have been competing but have possibly been finding it difficult because the standards being set here and the difficulties they have had with those standards maybe do not apply to the competition.

In Kildare we know that those tillage farmers form the backbone of our rural economy. It is more evident in Kildare South, the Minister's constituency, although we see it all across Kildare North, around Naas, Clane and Straffan. They also sustain other businesses so when we are talking about the tillage farmers, we are talking about all the other businesses they support.

The Minister recognised the pressures facing those farmers. He raised it in the parliamentary party and no doubt at Cabinet and was able to get €50 million extra for tillage supports, for the protein aid scheme, the straw incorporation measure and indeed other measures. I dealt with TAMS in my previous career and there was an extension of that. While that might not be a direct payment, it helps capital infrastructure to benefit the future.

I am conscious that these big issues cannot be resolved in one budget. That is the difficulty we are facing. The Minister alluded to that in his speech. Across the Government, this House and the country we are all conscious that we are trying to move away from one-off measures in other areas. However, we made sure the tillage farmers, to a degree, were looked after. We dealt with it in the best possible way.

The Minister is working hard and will continue to do so to ensure we have the proper structures in place for the tillage farmers, whether it is prioritising the soils, ensuring the smallholders are able to stay in it or, more importantly, converting some of those who have moved away from tillage farming to grass farming back into tillage.

As Deputy Aird correctly outlined, we have lost 40% of our tillage land in the past 40 years. That is something we need to replace. Deputy Aird also referenced the difficulties of the beet farmers and what we have lost there. They are the issues we have to think about. We are not dealing with a budget or the situation in the here and now, rather we are dealing with the future of Ireland, our self-sufficiency and how we will have food for future generations.

Over the past number of years we have all seen the difficulties with supply chains as they might have existed during Covid-19 in terms of China. Ultimately, food is the one supply chain we can fix and that we do not want issues around or being stuck in ports. We need to ensure we can keep those farmers at work.

From a business perspective, we know tillage is a strategic sector for the country. It helps other businesses. Deputy Moynihan alluded earlier to the impact on Irish whiskey. That is only one part of it but it shows the importance of it. If Ireland is not known for its great food, great dairy, great beef and great tillage, then what are we as a country? Ultimately, agrifood is where we came from, it is something we specialise in and are great at. More importantly, we need to ensure that we can keep that into the future for future generations and keep that tillage flame alive. I will endeavour to work on it as best I can on behalf of the farmers of Kildare North and with my colleagues around the country and especially with the Minister, Deputy Heydon, and the rest of the Government.

Deputy Michael Collins

I have been requesting statements on tillage for the past few weeks. I acknowledge the Chief Whip for her help in making sure we got a chance to speak on behalf of Ireland's tillage farmers. It is an essential yet increasingly vulnerable part of our agricultural landscape. The tillage sector is in crisis. For the third consecutive year, farmers are facing financial losses. Despite their resilience and commitment to sustainable practices the economic reality is stark and unsustainable. The facts are the sale price of barley in 2025 is between €185 and €195 per tonne at 20% moisture, which has barely changed from prices seen in 1985. That means that 40 years on, we are looking at the same prices.

Yet, the cost of production has skyrocketed. Fertiliser prices, for example, range from €410 to €440 per tonne for calcium ammonium nitrate, CAN, and crop protection costs have risen by 4% in 2025 alone following increases of 20% in 2022 and 9% in 2023. Machinery costs account for 25% or 30% of total growing costs, while fuel and seed prices remain volatile.

Despite these challenges, Teagasc forecasts a 40% increase in tillage incomes in 2025, bringing the average to €42,000, but this is still below the national average farm income of €48,500, and much of the increase is attributed to subsidiary livestock enterprises, not crop production. These figures do not reflect profitability; they reflect survival. The gross margins for spring barley are forecast to increase by just €85 per hectare while costs remain high. Farmers are calling for a minimum subsidy of €250 per hectare to remain viable. Last year, Fine Gael pledged €60 million annually for the tillage sector, which equates to €175 per hectare over five years, yet budget 2026 has allocated only €50 million falling short of the commitment and the sector's needs.

Let us not forget the environmental value of tillage farmers. Irish tillage systems have one of the lowest carbon footprints in agriculture, producing just 1.9 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per ha on average. Farmers are incorporating straw in the soil, growing cover crops and improving nitrogen efficiency, which all contributes to climate goals. Moreover, Irish grain offers exclusive sourcing and is traceable and sustainable, yet millers and feed compounders continue to rely heavily on imports with 4 million to 5 million tonnes of feed ingredients imported annually, compared with 2 million tonnes of native grain produced. We must incentivise the use of Irish grain to reduce our carbon footprint and support local producers.

If we fail to act now, we risk losing a generation of tillage farmers. The consequences will be severe, including increased reliance on inferior imports, loss of rural employment and a setback in our climate ambitions. I urge the Government to deliver the full €60 million annual support as pledged, introduce a €250 per hectare subsidy to ensure viability, create incentives for millers and feed companies to prioritise Irish grain and expand environmental schemes that reward sustainable practices. We need to give these farmers the funds they need to survive. That is the long and the short of it.

I have serious concern for farmers in Clonakilty, Bandon, Kilbrittain, Ballinadee, Ballinspittle, Kinsale, Innishannon, Halfway and out the Airport Road. These are farmers in my constituency, but I also have serious concern for farmers throughout the country who are fighting for their very survival. We have a serious problem in the dairy sector with the drop in the price of meat. This is just another issue that needs to be addressed. For now, we need the tillage farmers to be protected. The Minister is the only one who can do it and I would appreciate if he would make that effort.

Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this. Whether people come from an area that engaged in tillage, it is awfully important. Whether people are in sucklers, sheep, dairy or whatever, the people who grow the tillage to get the straw are ferociously important. We have a decision to make. Let us look at the prices this year. What is being given under the protein aid scheme is a good subsidy, but in fairness to the people who are growing barley, wheat or oats, it is a totally different game. They are taking a bad price.

Let us look at the playing field. This is the big question that has to be addressed. We have decided to sign up to deals with third countries that have different terms and conditions for growing their product. It is as simple as that. We should give a level playing field to everyone. The other countries are able to genetically modify and use all that craic and Europe will take in their grain, whereas in Europe farmers cannot do that, and rightly so. Farmers have to grow their product but they are at a disadvantage and we should reward people for doing things right. The figures will stand up and the Government TDs have given them. We have lost 40% in 40 years. The fact is that if we do not listen to the tillage sector and if we do not sort it out, it will end up getting smaller and smaller because the Minister and everyone else here knows that the pressure on land if people are renting it, be it from the dairy man or some other person who wants it for other uses, is ferocious at the moment. No more land was made lately as far as I know, so the pressure is on.

Who will lose out? It is those in that most vulnerable sector, which will be under pressure. That is who will lose out. We in the Parliament and the Government have to decide whether we will save that sector and increase its productivity. Let us look at the climate targets we dream about and what we will achieve by 2030 in all the different sectors. We aim to increase tillage, as if everyone were going to pull out a plough tomorrow. That will not happen, but the reality is if we do not give incentives, we will not have the sector. We have to decide whether we want it. It is ferociously important as a sector. Even in the Minister's area, it is huge. West of Ireland trucks go up to bring down the straw every year. It is ferociously important for the west. It is not that a huge amount of tillage is done in the west, but we get that product and if people listen to the figures, what is it worth?

The people who grow distillers grain and so forth need to be looked after as well. I call on the drinks companies to step up to the mark on that because if we keep beating at people they will get out of the sector after a while and it is very hard to get people back to a thing. This year, tillage farmers will get the same or a small bit more than what the then Minister, Deputy McConalogue announced last year. That is not new money. They had the same feel for that money last year, but no new money is coming down the road for them. If we want to help those people, we have to set it out. If it will be in the next budget, the Minister should say what it will do. It is no good for any of us to make promises during an election campaign and then not deliver what we say we will. We need to make sure those people are helped out as much as possible.

Deputy Paul Lawless

I welcome the opportunity to contribute. I recently met Irish Grain Growers and Tillage Industry Ireland. As Deputy Fitzmaurice mentioned, the tillage sector is fundamentally important for every part of the country. For example, the beef and sheep farmers across Mayo rely on it for bedding, foodstuff and so on. If we lose this sector, we will have to rely on international markets and we have seen how volatile they have been in recent years. That is why it is fundamentally important that we protect the tillage sector.

It is important the Minister fully understand that there is an unequal playing field in the tillage sector. It is akin to fielding Mayo in an all-Ireland final with 15 players against Kildare with ten and telling the spectators it is an even playing field. That is what is happening, because we are importing grain from outside the European market that does not have the same level of compliance standards and so on and selling it in the same market. No distinction is made between Irish grain and international imports. It is incredible to think that genetically modified grain is coming into Ireland and it is being sold in the same way as grain produced in Ireland. That is fundamentally unfair. We are setting tillage farmers up as it is such a skewed and unfair market. It is therefore important we address the structural inequalities. This is one of the reasons we have been so opposed to the Mercosur deal. What is happening in the tillage sector is coming down the tracks for the beef sector as well. I urge the Minister to work to have a differentiation between Irish native grain and imports.

Perhaps he could develop a label with Bord Bia, for example. Irish whiskey is a premium product around the world. To think that Irish whiskey might be produced without any native grain is pretty incredible. I ask that the Minister look at that. The entire structure of the European tillage market needs to be examined before we sign any more international trade deals. It should be a basic requirement that if we are going to import foodstuffs into the European Union that it must come with the same levels of standards we hold Irish farmers to. Unless we do that, we are at nothing when it comes to environmentalism. The emissions produced in Mayo, Kildare or Galway are the same as they are in Brazil. The CBAM tax is another issue coming down the tracks as well. The fertiliser costs will increase the cost of production for tillage farmers.

Deputy Brian Stanley

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important issue. I note that the two Ministers are here. Sometimes at debates here the senior Minister or the Minister of State do not attend but for most of this debate there were three Ministers present, comprising the Minister and two Ministers of State. While we might disagree on a lot of issues, it shows there is a seriousness about the changes that need to be made in this sector.

The tillage sector needs an uplift. There was a saying “One more cow, one more sow, one more acre under the plough”, which some Members will be familiar with. However, we did not get the 1 acre under the plough and we are not getting it. There is an issue of sustainability and not just environmental but also economic sustainability. The simple fact is input costs have gone through the roof for the tillage sector. The decline in numbers has been outlined. The number of full-time tillage farmers in the State is around 4,500. There has been a huge decline as the Minister knows. We need a seismic shift. This is not about doing something on the edges. This needs to be a national mission to get more land under tillage for economic, sustainability and environmental reasons, as well as to head off the huge fines that are coming at us from Europe in meeting our obligations. Unfortunately, tillage farmers are leaving in droves. The day of farmers having a few acres of beet and a few acres of grain side by side with cattle or dairy is gone and we need to address this. The viability of the sector is under pressure. I have met representatives of the tillage sector, as well as individual tillage farmers, in recent months who outlined this very strongly. There is no doubt that they are under pressure. Milk is going well for now and so is beef but the margins are just not there for tillage. That is an honest statement to make; the business of tillage farming has to be economically viable.

We need a huge shift in direction towards horticulture and tillage generally. The horticulture sector is nearly wiped out. We need to face up to that and deal with it. Any increase is welcome, and the Minister announced €50 million, but €20 million will go on ongoing schemes and commitments and the remaining €30 million is not that much of a change from last year. The Government was reported as promising €60 million - that is what IFA figures are saying – and that is certainly needed. The figure of a €100 per hectare subsidy is clearly inadequate. I appeal to the Minister to look at this again because what people in the sector are telling me, and have been telling me for a long time, is that it needs something more like €100 per acre. That is €220 or €240 per hectare in supports. We need greater diversification and to broaden the range of crops, especially cover crops. The loss of the beet sector has been a huge loss and not only financial. It is a loss in a lot of other ways as well. When it finished there were 360 beet growers in County Laois. That is just one small county. Those farmers not only had a cash crop but they also had beet pulp in December, typically. In January they had beet tops to let cattle out on when there was no feed so they were able to reduce their feed costs, which was very important. Now what happens is that everything has to be bought in and that is creating a huge add-on cost for farmers. We have a climate emergency. Farmers who I meet want to play their part in that but we must allow them to do that. Teagasc has highlighted the unique position of tillage in reducing our carbon output. That is widely accepted. It is far less than dairy per acre, for example. Dairy farmers are doing well, as previous speakers have said, and that is all well and good but it is important that we recognise that the tillage sector has a huge role to play here. The fact that the sector has contracted so much in recent years has not helped us in reducing our emissions in a sustainable way.

We also have to look at our international commitments and what we have signed up to. Whether we like it or not, we need to head off the huge fines coming at us. It would be unsustainable not to. A budget was passed here last week. If we do not do something about the fines for not reaching our climate targets, the cost will be astronomical. It will be a huge burden on farmers and taxpayers and that is who will have to pay it. There is nobody else to pay that. We need more supports there and we need to diversify.

I ask the Minister not to give up on beet altogether. As he knows, different lobby groups and farmers were coming together and groups of people in the agribusiness sector were looking to get that back on the road again. He met some of them during recent Governments. We need to get it going again. The income from beet or sugar manufacturing alone will not do it; there must also be bioethanol and other byproducts. I mentioned the benefits for farmers in terms of beet pulp and beet tops in the hungry month of January when they are trying to feed cattle and there is no grass and how it helps them with sustainability.

On feedstuffs, the producers and mills are churning out stuff that may have as little as 5% Irish grain. Deputy Aird said he buys Irish grain, and it is good that he is buying it, but farmers are telling me that they cannot guarantee that it is. People in the mills, and those drawing the material to mills, tell me that it could be as low as 5%. I would point out to the Minister of State with responsibility for food, Deputy Grealish that this is really an issue. A lot of this is GM produce. It is not produced to the same high standards as the crops in this State. We have to have a level playing field when it comes to quality. It is really important. According to Teagasc, 19% of our potatoes is imported. That is a great cash crop. I understand how with weather patterns and changes that might be challenging but much of the country has good dry land that can be used for that. Then there are flour imports. During the latest big freeze, we almost ran out of bread. I think we had a four-day supply of flour in the country. Let us imagine that in a State that used to grow and produce all its own flour. There were flour mills including in Sallins and Portlaoise. There was great employment from the Odlum family in them but they are gone. We have left ourselves completely exposed to the volatility of global markets. We know what is going on globally; we know what America is up to and we know what is coming in with Mercosur and the difficulties that may cause. I am not arguing for completely ring-fencing the country but we have to start looking at sustainability. We have to start getting back to some basics. We cannot be so heavily dependent on imports and therefore I ask the Minister not to give up on beet. It needs to be looked at again. It was a great cash crop and farmers welcomed the beet cheque that generally came in December and January and sometimes even in early February.

We need realistic supports for the tillage sector, and I include the horticultural sector in that; we need trade recognition for genuine Irish produce; and we need to increase the volume of grain we are producing here and produce that can be used for animal feed, and to be able to certify that it is Irish.

This is not about putting barbed wire around the country or anything like that. I recognise that there has to be international trade but we have become overly reliant on it. When it has to be hauled from the far side of the world as well, it makes it more expensive.

I call for realistic supports for the sector, trade recognition for genuine Irish produce and a massive expansion for food and animal feed security. This will help us reduce our carbon footprint and our carbon output per acre, but also provide cash for farmers.

Farmers in Laois will step up to the plate. The ones I have met have stuck with the tillage sector. There are lean pickings from it. We must help those farmers to stay there. We must grow the numbers of farmers who are involved in tillage. I ask the Minister to look at some of these issues again and to give the sector due recognition.

Deputy Ryan O'Meara

Tá mé beagnach tinn inniu agus dá bhrí sin, ní bheidh mé ag caint ach ar feadh cúpla nóiméad.

I thank both the Minister and the Minister of State for being here this evening for this debate. I welcome these statements on this important topic. It is an issue that has been repeatedly raised with me by constituents, particularly in the lead-up to the budget.

The tillage sector is a critical part of the agrifood sector producing high-quality animal feed, bedding and ingredients for the food and drink industry. It contributes over €1.3 billion annually to the national economy despite comprising only 5% of total agricultural area. We have heard from others here this evening but I would also like to point out that the area under tillage has experienced a 40% reduction over the past 40 years.

On taking over the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine between 2020 and 2024, Fianna Fáil worked hard to deliver investment both on the farm and in industry and to provide tangible financial supports for farmers and I recognise that the current Government, and particularly the Minister and Minister of State, have continued that hard work over the past year.

The supports include specific supports for the tillage sector, such as the protein aid scheme worth €10.9 million, the straw incorporation measure payments of €15.5 million and the tillage incentive scheme worth €8.5 million in expenditure and €14.3 million paid to tillage farmers by way of the once-off unharvested crop support scheme.

Fianna Fáil wants the tillage sector to continue to grow and develop, and we need it to. We are acutely aware of the challenges facing the sector and are fully committed to delivering on the huge potential of the tillage sector. Protecting farm family incomes is an absolute priority for Fianna Fáil. It was a priority for me during the general election campaign. When it comes to generational renewal, which is something coming to me massively from younger farmers in particular, financial viability around the family farm is crucial. That is the major challenge that we are seeing for those in tillage at present. We want Irish agriculture to be a world leader in terms of innovation, sustainability and value and we want Irish farmers and their families to thrive.

The area under tillage has fallen by 40% in the last 40 years. According to the IFA, the recent decline in area can be principally attributed to a reduction in cereal production of 50,000 ha since 2012. Ireland has one of the lowest percentages of land devoted to arable cropping in the EU 27, at 6.5% of utilisable agricultural area, despite the fact that 36% of Irish soils or approximately 2.5 million ha are being classified as highly or moderately suitable for tillage production.

Essentially, in one sentence, what tillage farmers are telling me is that they are facing high input prices; competition for land; land prices obviously going through the roof, particularly for leases; and low global prices. I fully appreciate that we are fully susceptible as an open economy to global trends. That is having a massive impact at the moment, particularly for those men and women in tillage who are coming to me and saying that land prices are crippling them at present while the price for their product is so low.

Budget 2026 provides funding of at least €50 million to the tillage sector, which I welcome. This will be channelled through the protein aid scheme, the straw incorporation measure and the tillage support scheme.

I welcome the Minister's comment that there will be consultation with stakeholders on this. I look forward to consulting my constituents and feeding that back to him as well.

Deputy Brian Brennan

The Minister is here and the Minister of State, Deputy Grealish, is also here. That is a huge statement. Since being elected, I have attended many debates where Ministers have not turned up. It shows the importance of the issue.

We were both in Naas. We saw what went on. They were expecting 250 people but over 1,000 turned up. The people I was speaking to there felt it was the biggest meeting they ever had in Naas. It was a clear statement that the tillage industry is on its knees. The tillage sector needs help. It has got help in the budget but it needs more help. It needs a long-term plan. That is what we really need.

I come from a hospitality background but one thing I know is that in business, whether you are in tillage or you are a publican or a hotelier, if you do not make a margin, you are at nothing and you are wasting your time. If your costs are too high and you are not getting your price, you are simply at nothing.

The tillage industry is being saturated by cheap imports. We have to tackle that. There are European regulations. We have to accept that but in some way we have to increase the support for the people on the ground.

In going around and meeting the tillage farmers, in counties Wicklow and Wexford, I have a huge concern. When I am speaking to the farmer, I am also speaking to their children. I can see a conveyor belt of young farmers leaving our country from the tillage sector if we do not address this issue urgently.

Huge work has been done, in fairness to the Minister. He has his figure on the pulse, but it is the long-term strategy I highlight.

I have a huge issue with the sale of Irish whiskey when it is not fully Irish. It should be what is on the label. We have to fight stronger to make sure that our farmers are producing the goods for our products. We have good, strong products. We have a worldwide reputation and it is crucial.

I am asking for further help and a long-term strategy, otherwise we will be in trouble with the tillage industry.

Deputy Gillian Toole

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Cheann Comhairle, an Aire agus an Aire Stáit - an triúr agaibh. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for this opportunity. I would also like to acknowledge the information and support given to me by Meath IFA and the Irish Grain Growers group who have presented to the committee.

Rather than repeat the statistics that have been so forthcoming from all parties and none today, as we are all very much aware of the shrinkage, the reduction in acreage and the numbers of farmers in the tillage community, I will focus my comments on the health impacts. "Let food be thy medicine," as Hippocrates said. We are what we eat and, indeed, what we eat eats. If we take the Irish grain, it comprises of complex carbohydrates, protein, fibre, zinc, iron and magnesium. They are super foods in their entity and whether people are carnivores, herbivores, vegan or vegetarian, Irish grain is something that underpins all parts of the diet and is highly nutritious. For that reason, while the supports are very welcome and acknowledged, if we take into consideration that highly important contribution to the health and well-being of every individual in this country, never mind those who benefit from our exports, and the vagaries of the weather, while this year's budget announcement is most welcome, there is a strong case for bringing forward a multi-annual package because the variables are too high in this instance.

One of these variables is the importation of grains from other jurisdictions that do not meet the same criteria as our product must within the EU. The pitch has to be levelled. If we take, for example, Irish whiskey and the ingredient not containing an Irish grain, let us consider wine from the Chianti region but the grapes coming from Chile.

I am not displaying a particular lifestyle trend but, following on, another example is champagne made with grapes from New Zealand and not from the Champagne region. To go back to our porcine friends, another example is Parma ham where the ham is from South America or any other jurisdiction. This is essentially what we are at. We need to put the jersey on very quickly. It is fair to say the asks are very concise. We want clear food labelling so that consumers can make an informed choice and know they are getting a native product, which is almost carbon neutral or carbon zero, and see how it compares.

Deputy Carol Nolan

I am delighted to have an opportunity to speak here tonight on the tillage issue. I spoke to and engaged with the IFA on this matter on a number of occasions prior to the budget. Many of the concerns and challenges relate to the significant structural pressures and extended economic factors the sector faces, including increased importation of grains and elevated input costs. While we accept that production figures for 2025 show a modest yield increase, this has not translated into sector stability. This is of great concern to the tillage sector.

I accept the Government has initiated targeted responses to mitigate these pressures following extensive consultations, including a national crisis meeting convened by the Irish Farmers Association in September, which was alluded to a number of times during the debate. There was huge attendance and it goes to show how important the issue is and how worried farmers are about it. The Minister engaged directly at the meeting to outline pathways towards viability. This is something that everyone in the House wants to see achieved.

I also understand the committee on agriculture has examined policy options such as taxation initiatives for low-carbon tillage crops and biodiversity rewards to foster long-term resilience. However, we must move to a situation such as that advocated by the likes of the IFA, which is at the forefront of this and understands inside out the concerns and issues farmers have. Its approach is having structured survival payments implemented in a system where farmers have certainty, and where we can finally bring about sustained fiscal commitments from the Government. Certainty is important for farming to plan from year to year. It is no different to any business. It is important that certainty is provided.

I also note on the European front that the Common Agricultural Policy continues to channel financial support towards the promotion of conservation tillage systems but I am deeply alarmed by reports that Ireland will have to use more than 75% of its allocation. This is a concern.

Deputy Danny Healy-Rae

I am glad to speak about the grain and tillage section of our farming. Grain and tillage have been, are, and always have to be a vital part of our agricultural landscape. We met grain growers and they gave a very concise, interesting and serious presentation on the plight they face. They told us the number of farmers going out of the business and how many will go if something does not happen.

It is not fair that they do not have a level playing field. If the grain coming in from Europe is not grown using the same costly methods we ensure our farmers must use, we will have to level the playing pitch on our side. We will have to make it easier for them to comply if we cannot do it any other way, and if we cannot ensure the Europeans, or those from wherever the grain is coming from, are operating the same standards. It is absolutely ridiculous to think that people can come along and sell Irish whiskey which has other grain making it. The Government will have to do something about this. It is not fair. The Government must ensure that our farmers get the primary role in producing the grain. When our name is used, grain should only be imported or used if we cannot provide it.

These farmers are in savage competition for land and with regard to the pricing and the cost of everything. Everything is increasing. When grain is being imported we are increasing the carbon footprint we are all supposed to be adhering to. God Almighty, we are all under the one sky whether the grain comes from Ukraine, Russia or wherever. It is produced under the same sky so the same rules should apply all over the world.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Noel Grealish)

I thank all of the Members who have spoken today. The Minister, Deputy Heydon, the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, and I have listened carefully to what has been raised by the Opposition and those on the Government benches.

For a few minutes I will speak about my role in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine as Minister of State with responsibility for new markets, food promotion, research and development. It is crucial that I state how important agriculture is to the Irish economy. Over the past six or seven years exports have grown by in excess of €6 billion or €7 billion, with more than €19 billion worth of farm produce being exported around the world in 2024. Ireland exports 90% of what it produces. We export enough food to feed in excess of 30 million people.

Recently I had the great honour of attending when Ireland was invited by South Africa to be a guest nation at a meeting of the G20 in Cape Town. All of the major world agriculture Ministers were there and we had many bilateral meetings with them. They were very impressed to hear the amount of produce that Ireland exports. This is a credit to all the farmers, the processors and, in particular, Bord Bia. I must acknowledge the tremendous work Bord Bia does. It has 14 offices throughout the world. It works full-time sourcing new markets as well as looking after the customers we have. It is also crucial to give service to the customers to whom we supply our products.

Recently I was at the Anuga world trade show held in Germany, where I had a number of meetings with many of the major suppliers to supermarkets and many supermarket owners. The one thing they kept bringing up about Irish produce was the quality of the product we sell into their shops. They were highly complimentary of the products we sell. Much of this is down to the farmers.

The issue of farm succession has been raised today. At the G20 in Cape Town in excess of two hours was devoted to this topic. It is not just a problem in Ireland or Europe; it is a problem worldwide. It is an issue that has to be addressed. I know the Minister, Deputy Heydon, has spoken to the Commissioner about this and it will be an important issue for the European Commission with regard to getting young people into farming.

On 7 March a study was launched by Dr. Martina Roche of Maynooth University which found that women accounted for 13.4% of farm holders. Recently I opened a conference in Maynooth on promoting women's involvement in farming. There were in excess of 100 women at the conference. You should see the enthusiasm they had when they spoke about the role they now play in farming. It is important to get new young people involved and it is also crucial to get women involved in agriculture.

In the context of the research and development end of my role, which I have to say I thoroughly enjoy, I recently visited UCD Lyons Farm in Celbridge, which operates in conjunction with Teagasc and towards which my Department gives a lot of money, to see the products, studies and research being done there, particularly the research with regard to grass to reduce emissions from animals and the food products and medicines given to animals. Many of these programmes cover the whole period from a calf being born to the animal being slaughtered. Different food products and different types of grass are given to the animals and research is done on that. A lot of good reports are now coming out in that regard. The agriculture spokespersons on the benches opposite should visit that farm. I really enjoyed it.

Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice

We have already gone five times.

Deputy Noel Grealish

I am delighted to hear that.

Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice

The agriculture committee has gone a few times.

Deputy Noel Grealish

I hope the committee has visited Moorepark in Cork as well. I was very impressed by it. It has been said that the Government is not trying to support the tillage industry. I compliment the Minister, Deputy Heydon, on going to the meeting in the Killashee Hotel recently. Over 1,000 people attended that meeting. It was very important for the Minister to be there. It shows how seriously he takes this issue that he turned up at that meeting and spent over three hours there listening to farmers' concerns regarding tillage. He has to be complimented on that and I was delighted to hear many speakers across the House compliment him on going there and listening to the farmers' concerns at first hand. I am sure the information he brought back from that meeting is invaluable and will be worked on within the Department.

This discussion has once again underlined how central the tillage sector is to Irish agriculture, our food security, our food supply, our climate ambitions and the sustainability of our rural economy. I will state, as the Minister, Deputy Heydon, did earlier, that the tillage sector is an integral part of Irish farming. This is highlighted by the €1.9 billion per annum contribution it makes to the Irish economy and the 11,000 full-time equivalent jobs it supports. This Government's ambition is clear. We want to see the tillage sector not only recover from the recent challenges but grow and thrive in the years ahead.

The past few years have been particularly difficult with adverse weather, volatile markets and increased costs. The Government has responded decisively to these challenges through targeted supports. We have delivered significant additional funding in recent years to both stabilise and encourage growth in the sector. As outlined earlier, budget 2026 provides a support package of at least €50 million through the protein aid scheme, the straw incorporation measure and the tillage support scheme. Consultation with stakeholders on the design and operation of this tillage support scheme will begin in due course. This will help support tillage farm incomes given this year's severe market and provide a strong base to protect the future of tillage farming in Ireland. In addition, there will be a targeted reopening of the organic farming scheme to farmers in the tillage sector.

At the same time, we are looking ahead. The Food Vision tillage group our Department established continues to work with stakeholders across industry to develop a long-term roadmap for a resilient and profitable tillage sector, creating new added-value opportunities. Its work is central to shaping policies that strengthen competitiveness and improve environmental performance. Good progress has been made in implementing actions in the report across a range of areas. This work will require ongoing collaboration and sustained effort from all stakeholders.

The Common Agricultural Policy will be hugely important to support the incomes of our tillage farmers into the future. The Minister, Deputy Heydon, will continue to play an active role in negotiating with the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, the European Parliament's agriculture committee and his fellow EU agriculture ministers to ensure Irish priorities are reflected in the final agreement. We aim to deliver a CAP that is more straightforward for farmers and strikes an appropriate balance between economic, social and environmental sustainability; flexibility for member states to design schemes that suit national systems; and an adequately funded CAP that continues to underpin farm incomes, food security and rural development.

Our farmers have shown remarkable resilience and commitment in the face of unprecedented challenges. The Government stands with them not only in responding to today's pressures but also in building a stronger and more sustainable future for Irish tillage. I again thank the Members for their thoughtful contributions and continued engagement. Like many other Members, I acknowledge that the senior Minister stayed here for the whole debate. That shows how seriously he takes the issues affecting the tillage industry.

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht - Wednesday, 15 Oct 2025

Tillage Sector: Statements

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 15 Oct 2025