The Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) is urging government to support the tillage sector.

The IGGG has called on Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon to use unspent funds from the Fuel Income Support Scheme to "address the ongoing high fuel costs for tillage farmers".

It was confirmed recently that the first batch of payments under the scheme totalling over €20 million to almost 30,000 farmers and contractors had commenced.

The department confirmed that the total final payments under this scheme will be approximately €27 million.

However, the scheme had been allocated a budget of over €80 million.

Growers

The IGGG has said that machinery usage on tillage farms is at one of its peak usage times currently as the harvest continues apace.

"We call on the government to roll over the fuel support scheme for tillage farmers and contractors to cover the harvest period, and upcoming autumn planting season about to take off in a couple weeks with the planting of oilseed rape," the group said.

The European Commission recently announced a fertiliser support package, under which Ireland is expected to receive approximately €15.3 million.

The IGGG is urging government to co-finance any upcoming EU support package on chemical fertiliser.

"The cost of production of cereals and oilseed rape in Ireland has gone prohibitively high - this is reflected in the reduced area of cereals in Ireland in 2026," the group continued.

"This is against the backdrop [of] our competitive edge being continually eroded with industrial by-products being imported on an increasing basis, year in, year out, to aid feed our livestock, pig and poultry industries.

"The current drought is a case in point."