The Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) has set out five measures it believes should be included in the government's Budget 2027 to support the tillage sector.

It published its submission for the budget following a meeting with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon.

The IGGG package centres on the introduction of a duty on grain imports into Ireland.

This would be a taxation measure on imported feedstuffs based on carbon footprint.

The aim of this is to apply a tariff, similar to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), on imported feedstuffs.

IGGG envisages that a variable tax rate would provide between €90-100 million annually, to be distributed directly to tillage farmers by government.

Since this funding would not be directly coming from national government resources, it would, therefore, be cost neutral for the exchequer, according to the group.

Tillage support

IGGG is also calling for the €30 million that was provided to tillage farmers in Budget 2026 to be increased to €40 million through a proposed Tillage Sustainability Support (TSS) scheme.

The tillage stakeholder points out that the Budget 2026 boost for growers was very welcome in the current calendar year.

However, the group said the support needs to be maintained on an annual basis to help give tillage farmers certainty.

IGGG also wants to see this measure maintained as a coupled payment through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-2027.

According to IGGG, the current Straw Incorporation Measure is guaranteed for both 2026 and 2027. The group is requesting that the measure is retained within the CAP Strategic Plan post-2027.

Where reform of the current Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes (TAMS) is concerned, IGGG is calling for the introduction of a 60% grant rate with the ceiling enhanced to €250,000 for tillage farmers.

The group also wants the list of eligible tillage items for TAMS expanded to include fertiliser sensors, swathers, straw stores, and cover crop seeders.

Tillage expansion

IGGG stated that it fully supports the introduction of a Tillage Expansion Support (TES) measure into the future, so long as it is fully funded from the start.

They called for the scheme to have a minimal three-year time span with funding rates set at €120/ha above the TSS payment.

Clear guidelines would be established for the envisaged measures. These include grassland conversions of greater than five years in duration.

Only cereal, protein crops, oilseed rape, and combi crops would be deemed eligible available for funding.

Strict penalties would also be applied. These include the clawback of payments received if land reverts to grassland or maize before to five years.

A budget of €1 million per year over a minimum of three years has been proposed by IGGG.