Broad welcome for enhanced commitment to SIM
Ireland’s main farming bodies have welcomed the enhanced commitment from the government to the 2026 Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM).
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon today (Wednesday, July 22) announced that all applicants for the SIM have been accepted into the scheme for 2026.
Over 73,000ha of cereals and oilseed rape straw have been submitted to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) for chopping and incorporating in 2026.
Irish Grain Growers' Group (IGGG) representative, Clive Carter has told Agriland that the decision to cover the payment of all 2026 SIM applications will provide a more that welcome boost for the tillage sector.
“The decision comes at a time when all growers are coming under severe financial pressures," Carter said.
“But more than this, it also reflects an understanding on the part of government that tillage is a key contributor to Irish agriculture and must be supported accordingly.”
It is envisaged that the actual SIM payments will be made in the run-up to Christmas.
“But the SIM issue cannot be allowed to distract from the need for government to deliver sustainable support measures courtesy of Budget 2027," Carter added.
The IGGG is due to meet Minister Heydon, regarding the organisation’s Budget 2027 submission tomorrow (Thursday, July 23).
Grain prices
Turning to the current state of world cereal markets, the IGGG representative confirmed the recent strengthening of international grain prices.
“This has been long overdue, given the continuing pressure on fertiliser prices and the impact created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine," Carter continued.
“Meanwhile global demand for grains continues to increase while stock levels diminish.
“But even with the recent increases in price, market returns need to improve by another €40 to €50/t to provide some degree of sustainability for Irish tillage farmers," he said.
SIM funding
Meanwhile, the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has also welcomed the decision on SIM taken by Minister Heydon.
The organisation’s national grain chair, John Murphy, said that it's imperative for the minister to secure the extra funding needed to meet the demand for the scheme.
"I acknowledge the announcement that all applicants have been accepted. We made the point to the minister at our meeting three weeks ago that it must be at the rate that applied in the past," Murphy said.
“We cannot have any reduction as this would be a blow to tillage growers who are under immense pressure.
"Winter crops have been harvested and the main harvest is likely to get underway ahead of schedule.
“Growers need certainty that funding will be there to meet the demand in full."
Murphy explained that the SIM has been a hugely successful agri-environmental scheme which incentivises farmers to return organic matter back into the soil.
“It also interacts with the wider straw market; it plays a role in maintaining the straw supply and demand balance; and it provides support for tillage farmers," he added.
"SIM has been oversubscribed every year since 2023, so the area applied for in 2026 didn't come as a huge shock. Minister Heydon found additional funding in 2025 to pay all applicants and he needs to find it again."
