A new €31 million fertiliser scheme will launch in 2026 to help farmers manage rising fertiliser costs, Minister for Public Expenditure, Jack Chambers said today (Tuesday, October 6).

Farm organisations had urged the government ahead of Budget 2027 today to put in place new fertiliser supports to help farmers who have been battling high input costs and challenging weather conditions.

Today's confirmation by Minister Chambers comes months after the European Commission first moved to help farmers with fertiliser costs.

At the start of July Agriland learned that Ireland had been allocated a potential €15.3 million share of the European Commission's proposed €540 million fertiliser support package.

France received the largest allocation from this support package with €107.1 million in aid earmarked for its farmers while Poland was allocated €66.6 million, followed by Germany with an allocation of €60.2 million.

The European Commission had indicated during the summer that member states could also top their allocations up by an additional 200% of national funds.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon has been urged in August to immediately open the fertiliser support scheme to release both EU and national funding to Irish farmers facing dramatically increased fertiliser costs.

Budget 2027

The Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) had previously called on the government to introduce a €40 million state aid package to help Irish farmers secure fertiliser supplies for 2027.

The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA) had also been among farmer organisations who had urged Minister Heydon to secure the 200% in national funding to complement the European Commission allocation.

Today's confirmation in Budget 2027 that Minister Heydon has secured the 200% boost will now be applauded by farm organisations.

According to the ICSA this is likely to bring the total fertiliser support package that could be made available to farmers to almost €46.2 million.