Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 May 2023
618. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of tillage produced under the tillage incentive scheme in 2022 and to date in 2023; the percentage of tillage that the scheme contributed to overall grain supplies in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24466/23]
View answerLast year, I introduced the Tillage Incentive Scheme which is acknowledged as contributing to an increase in the area under tillage of 20,000ha or 6% from approximately 320,000ha in 2021 to 340,000ha in 2022. This comprised of an increase of 13,000ha in the area of cereal crops and 7,000ha in the area under alternative crops.
The Scheme is a support measure to incentivise an increase in domestic production thereby reducing dependency on imports. I secured funding of €10 million for the continuation of the Scheme in Budget 2023.
The increase in cereal area last year was reflected in a greater volume of grain output. The Teagasc Harvest 2022 Report estimated cereal (wheat, oats and barley) output at 2.42 million tonnes. This is a 93,000 tonne increase over 2021, which was also a high output year with good yields. The 2022 cereal harvest was the biggest harvest since 2016. An increased area of winter crops last year which are generally higher yielding, coupled with record yields from some spring crops and increase in area as a result of the scheme contributed to this output.
It is too early to establish the impact of the 2023 Tillage Incentive Scheme on new tillage area and grain supplies. Information on overall crop areas, the area claimed under TIS and estimates on grain output will allow for an assessment of the contribution of the Scheme in 2023. However, this information will only become available later in the year.
