Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine Martin Heydon is set to address a national tillage crisis meeting next month.

The meeting organised by the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) is taking place in the Killashee Hotel, Naas, Co. Kildare on Friday, September 12, at 7:30p.m.

IFA president Francie Gorman is calling on all tillage farmers to attend the event.

Among the other contributors on the night will be IFA Grain Committee chair Kieran McEvoy; Irish Grain Growers Group (IGGG) chair James Kelly and Teagasc tillage specialist, Shay Phelan.

The meeting will also hear from chair of the Tillage Food Vision Group, Matt Dempsey and chair of Tillage Industry Ireland, Andy Doyle.

Francie Gorman said that the "situation in the tillage sector has reached a crisis point".

“Government support is unquestionably needed to ensure the tillage sector survives this current crisis but guarantees on this ahead of Budget 2026 have been far from forthcoming.

"The Minister cannot sit on his hands on this matter,” the IFA president added.

“The Programme for Government gave a commitment to invest significantly in our tillage sector. We will be urging the minister to honour that promise,” he said.

IFA Grain chair Kieran McEvoy urged all tillage farmers and other farmers who support the sector to attend the meeting.

He said that Minister Heydon’s attendance is "a vital opportunity to voice the serious concerns tillage farmers have".

"Tillage farmers cannot continue to make losses, and we need support if the sector is to survive.

"Despite the straightforward harvest weather, morale is at an all-time low.

“This meeting is a significant opportunity to task Minister Heydon to find a workable solution for our tillage sector. Otherwise, it faces irreversible decline,” McEvoy said.