Holly Cairns
Question:446. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline his Department's plan to support the development of the tillage sector. [56108/23]
View answerThursday, 14 December 2023
Questions (446)
Written answers
The tillage sector is dynamic, sustainable and world-class and I want to see it grow and develop in the years ahead. It is because of this that I established the Food Vision Tillage Group in May of this year. The Group is made up of a wide range of stakeholders from across the industry and is tasked with setting out a roadmap for the sustainable growth and development of the sector. The Group has met on 10 occasions and identified a number of actions to be undertaken in their Interim Report. Further matters are being examined by the Group and I will consider their final recommendations when they are forwarded to me in due course.
In recent years, I have introduced several proactive and innovative measures to support the sector. The Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM) has paid €19.5m to tillage farmers since it was launched as a pilot in 2021 and I have committed to pay approximately €16.5m for SIM this year. The Tillage Incentive Scheme, launched in response to the invasion of Ukraine, has resulted in payments of €10.9m in 2022 and has continued in 2023. In the new CAP Strategic Plan, I secured an increase in the annual budget of the Protein Aid Scheme from €3m to €7m.
To help alleviate the significant challenges Irish growers experienced this year, I secured €7.147m from the EU Agricultural Reserve to support the sector. This allocation is being topped up with a further €7.147m is state funding. These funds are being used to support growers with unharvested crops by way of an Unharvested Crop Support Scheme. The remaining available funds are being used as a once-off flat rate payment on the area of oilseed rape, winter and spring barley, wheat and rye declared under the Basic Income Support for Sustainability Scheme (BISS) in 2023.
The overall level of support provided demonstrates my commitment to this important sector and the many farm families and businesses dependent upon it.
Question No. 447 answered with Question No. 29.