I am acutely aware of the current challenges facing the tillage sector. The commodity market turmoil caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, and while we benefitted from record grain prices in 2022, we now face a sharp decline in grain prices on international markets.
I am a strong supporter of the tillage sector and increasing the area under tillage is a major policy ambition of mine. To help deliver on this ambition, I recently established the Food Vision 2030 Tillage Group. This group, which brings together all relevant stakeholders, has been established to advance the actions for the tillage sector identified in the Food Vision 2030 strategy, while also taking account of the targets set out in the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Climate Action Plan 2023.
Ireland is a net importer of cereals to meet our livestock feed requirements. There is therefore tremendous scope to increase the production of Irish grain and protein crops to displace imported feed.
I have backed my commitment to the sector with new and innovative schemes in recent times including the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM) which has paid €19.5m to tillage farmers since it was launched as a pilot in 2021. The Tillage Incentive Scheme (TIS) launched in response to the invasion of Ukraine has resulted in payment of €10.9m to scheme applicants in 2022. The Tillage incentive Scheme is continuing this year.
In the new CAP Strategic Plan, I secured an increase in the annual budget of the Protein Aid Scheme from €3m to €7m. The successful addition of the Straw Incorporation Measure and the Protein Aid Scheme in the CSP results in a total budget of €85M for tillage between 2023 and 2027. Our new Agri-Environmental Scheme (ACRES) includes a broad range of actions that are relevant to tillage famers while the new Tillage Capital Investment Scheme under TAMS contains a broader range of investments and a higher investment ceiling of €90,000.
