Details of the new tillage incentive scheme have been published by the Department of Agriculture.
The scheme is designed to address possible food and fodder shortages due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and it aims to help farmers grow more barley, oats and wheat in 2022, to reduce Ireland’s dependence on imported feed material.
The budget for the Tillage Incentive Scheme is €10 million with a proposed payment rate of €400 per hectare.
Farmers wishing to apply for the scheme should declare their eligible crops on their 2022 BPS application here by the May 16th closing date.
The Department has confirmed it is finalising the Red Clover Silage Measure and further details of that will be available shortly.
This comes as farmers are also facing higher costs for fertilizer due to the war.
Derogation for farmers in relation to the crop diversification rule under the Greening Scheme for 2022 has also been secured and this change will provide maximum flexibility for farmers regarding their planting decisions.
For crops to be eligible, the land must have been grassland in 2021.
