A response from the government to the Food Vision Tillage Group Report is now expected in the autumn. It may tie-in with Budget 2025, planned for October.
Such an approach will not go down well with relevant stakeholder organisations, all of which want certainty delivered here and now for those farmers committed to crop production.
The final report of the Food Vision Tillage Group recommended that an immediate financial support package be put in place for the sector for the 2024 growing season.
This was one of 28 recommendations outlined in the report, the finalised version of which was published by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) in May.
According to the report, funding in the order of €60 million/year for five years would be needed to pursue the recommendations in the report and to achieve a target of 400,000ha under tillage by 2030.
A recent episode of the Tillage Edge podcast saw DAFM Minister of State, Martin Heydon, deliver his perspectives on the future of Irish tillage.
Significantly, he confirmed that the industry did have a vibrant future.
The minister’s comments are set against the backdrop of the Irish government committing to secure the expansion of the crops’ sector with the specific figure of 400,000ha contained within Ireland’s current Climate Action Plan.
This represents an approximate 33% increase in the current footprint of the industry.
Heydon has acknowledged that tillage farming has come through a very challenging 18 months.
“There are less tillage farmers in Ireland than would have previously been the case. This reflects the very specialised nature of crop production,” he said.
“However, the 11,000 or so farmers committed to crop production are generating €1.9 billion worth of activity on an annual basis. And this is a very significant figure.”
According to the minister, tillage will play a critical important role as Irish agriculture looks to the future.
“Farming can be compared to a gearbox within which each gear has to work for the entire system to work harmoniously,” he continued.
“So, yes, tillage has a key role to play within the Irish agriculture, interacting with all the other sectors.
“So, for example, livestock producers need the grains and straw produced by those farmers growing crops.”
But, in the view of the junior minister, adding value to the outputs generated by the tillage sector is the real game that is afoot for the industry.
And making this happen will require investment, a process that is already gathering momentum.
Minister Heydon characterised the historical development of towns like Athy as having been developed by businesses that added value to the agricultural produce coming from nearby farms.
And this process is gathering momentum once again. In this context, he specifically referenced the proposed €200 million investment to build a new brewery at Newbridge.
“Boortmalt will also be increasing its level of investment in Athy. A lot of this additional malting capacity will be directed at the new brewery operation. So, this is a perfect example of the kinds of opportunity that will deliver premium returns for Irish grain growers,” Minister Heydon said.
“But government also recognises that tillage farmers are under pressure right now. Any farmer can handle one bad year. But when two come directly following each other, this is the genuinely concerning piece.
“And it’s in this context that government must stand by and do whatever it can.”
Food Vision Tillage Report
The final report from the Food Vision Tillage Group contains 28 recommendations. They comprise a mix of short- and long-term actions that can be delivered for growers.
Significantly, Martin Heydon is reminding farmers that Food Vision 2030 for agriculture as a whole, is a 10-year strategy.
“But it’s not the government’s report,” he stressed.
“It belongs to everyone. There are 31 different stakeholders involved in this process. It has involved farmers, processers and the environmental sector.
“They are all in the mix together, trying to work out how best we grow the value of our entire farming and food industry. The step change with Food Vision was that of growing value, rather than the quantity.
“Once the overall Food Vision report was agreed, the decision was taken to split the work associated with this ongoing process into the various sectors, tillage being one of these.”
The minister of state characterised the work of the tillage group as a SWOT analysis, looking at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats now evolving within the crops sector.
“The work took specific account of the environmental challenges that confront tillage,” Heydon continued.
“It also looked at possible changes to European Union legislation that is coming down the track. But, at its heart, the work of the group set out to identify how the tillage sector in Ireland can put its best foot forward.”
According to Martin Heydon, the final report from the tillage group represents a very important document. Its recommendations will be thoroughly scrutinised.
“Seven priority areas have been identified,” he commented.
“The short-term element, delivering €100/ha will build on the supports for tillage that are already in place.
“Looking ahead and specifically in the context of the nitrates derogation, we are looking at greater levels of cooperation between dairy and tillage farmers.”
The minister of state acknowledged that the Tillage Incentive Scheme, introduced after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was not directed at farmers who grew crops.
“The measure targeted those farmers growing grass,” he explained.
“I know the scheme really jarred with tillage farmers when they pointed to its lack of relevance for them. However, the measure did reflect the fact that government wants to grow Ireland’s tillage area.
“We want to grow the tillage area to 400,000ha by 20230. Right now, we are going In the wrong direction.
“This is because of all the challenges that are there and the cost implications. Priority number one is to stabilise the amount of land encompassed by tillage.”
In order to progress the future of the sector, the minister said it would require the implementation of effective policies.
Value of grain
Adding value to Irish grains is one of the key recommendations contained within the tillage report.
It is an aspiration that chimes with Martin Heydon and the government’s perspective on the future of the crops sector.
The minister commented: “From the perspective of Bord Bia developing additional and sustainable sourcing criteria, modules for auditing at feed mills under the Bord Bia quality assurance scheme, through to the work of Teagasc documenting the live cycle assessment of Irish tillage crops, there are lots of things we can do to help further develop the cropping sector.”
Heydon went on to reference adoptions to the AgNav system that can specifically help tillage farmers.
He also acknowledged the need for Irish livestock farmers to recognise the benefits of using home-produced feed.
Contained within each of the tillage report’s recommendations are numerous complementary themes, all of which will be assessed by the government.
“We are making progress on all of the key points. And tillage farmers have to see a financial return for all the different elements that make up their businesses,” Heydon added.
“Given my current ministerial responsibilities, I really see the value of our current quality assurance schemes while on trade missions to different countries.
“To have a nationally-backed quality assurance scheme is a tremendous asset to have. The reality is that many other countries do not have measures of this kind in place.
“All of those markets that will deliver a premium for Irish grains have sustainability as a key priority within their procurement criteria,” he added.
Minister Heydon said that he believes the Irish Grain Assurance Scheme and Bord Bia can liase with the aim of laying out a nationally-backed quality assurance programme for the tillage sector.