ICSA Tillage chair Gavin Carberry has said tillage farmers must receive payment for baling straw following the last-minute cancellation of the Straw Incorporation Measure for 2024. “Many tillage farmers were relying on this payment, but now they find themselves not only losing out on the payment but also facing significant fertiliser bills next year due to not incorporating straw,” he said.

Mr Carberry said the notion that tillage farmers could simply sell the straw and therefore not be out of pocket was wrong. “Farmers participating in the scheme have always had the option to pull out of the scheme if there was the potential to make more by selling. However, this has never been the case, and all farmers who signed up for this year will lose out financially,” he said.

“In addition, farmers were able to withdraw parcels from the scheme if there was extra demand for straw, so we cannot see any justification for scrapping the scheme altogether for this year.”

Mr Carberry made the point that last year was disastrous for tillage farmers with 80% not able to clear their bills. “This year is shaping up to be just as grim as most spring cereals sown in May will not be harvested until late September. The short days will then increase the risk of the crop not being saved at all, potentially a repeat of last year.”

“We believe that the Minister’s decision, made with a single stroke of the pen, will severely undermine confidence in the sector. With the planting of the 2025 crop less than six weeks away, many will be reconsidering their commitment to planting for 2025, resulting in even less straw for the 2025 harvest. This decision will also do nothing to help increase the area under tillage to 400,000 hectares by 2030.”

Mr Carberry said tillage farmers around the country have every right to be angry about the scrapping of this scheme that they signed up for months ago and made plans around. “It sends out a very bad message that the Department can just pull schemes at the drop of a hat. Confidence in schemes is already at an all-time low, particularly given the debacle over ACRES payments.”

ENDS