The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, has been told in no uncertain terms that he must deliver for the tillage sector in Budget 2026.

Industry organisations are seeking support in the region of €65 million.

It has been estimated that around 1,000 people attended an Emergency Tillage Crisis Meeting, hosted by the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) on behalf of the crops sector in Naas, Co. Kildare last night (Friday, September 12).

A range of stakeholder organisations including The Irish Grain Growers Group, Tillage Industry Ireland, the Food Vision Tillage Group, and Teagasc were represented at the event with speakers from these organisations reflecting on the current state of crop production in Ireland at the present time.

Minister Heydon also addressed the meeting. After his presentation, he spent almost an hour taking questions from the floor of the room. The representatives from various farming organisations in attendance made it clear that tillage is at a crisis, citing numerous challenges confronting Irish growers at the present time.

These include poor grain prices, the continuing threat of imported cereals and oilseeds coming into Ireland from regions outside the EU, challenges facing the arable sector caused by repeated changes to the support levels made available trough the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the need for the elite quality of Irish cereals to be recognised at all levels within the production and supply chain sectors currently operating in Ireland.

Adding to the anger expressed by stakeholder representatives, plus the rank and file farmers attending the meeting, was the confirmation from Teagasc that tillage incomes are set to decline further in 2026.  

Key drivers in this regard are the continuing prospect of poor cereal prices on world markets, and the projected increase in all farm input prices next year. Fertilser costs were specifically highlighted in this regard.

Minister Heydon told the audience that he fully recognises the intense pressure that had been exerted on tillage incomes over the past three years.

However, the minister would not commit on the night to specifically push for the €65 million support figure asked for by the farming organisations.

Rather, he said that he would do his very best to garner support from his government colleagues for the tillage sector in the run-up to Budget 2026.

It was an approach that did not carry much weight with IFA president, Francie Gorman, who expressed deep annoyance at Minister Heydon's failure to announce a specific support scheme for tillage on the night.

This was a view expressed by many of those attending, who made contributions from the floor.

They were not in the mood for a ‘live horse, eat grass’ approach from Minister Heydon and made this point in the clearest and strongest possible terms to him.

Many farmers also feel that Irish tillage could go the same way of the sugar beet industry, if the government does not step in to stabilise the entire combinable crops sector.

IFA president, Francie Gorman said: “The numbers of people here tonight are proof that tillage is in crisis. There is deep concern about the future of tillage in Ireland.

“All the stakeholder groups representing the crops’ sector are doing their best to get the support needed by the tillage industry.

He added: “I know the challenges that the tillage sector face, about imported grain and having to compete against a product which tillage farmers believe is inferior to what they are producing within their own businesses.

“I know about the loss of plant protection products, land availability and how tillage farmers were treated in the last CAP

“But at the end of the day, when all these factors are added up, it comes down to money."

According to the IFA president, when tillage was in a better position last year, relative to what is the case today, the government stepped up and delivered a support package for the crops’ sector.

He said: “We as a tillage sector are absolutely clear that the commitments given in the current programme for government have to be fully honoured.

“Grain processors including Boortmalt and Diageo have been strongly supported by the Irish state over recent years.

“But these organisations must have the farmers in place to supply the grains required to keep these business operating. So it’s imperative that these growers are supported as well," he added.

Gorman called on the government to support the sector.

He said: “To be clear, Irish tillage is a state of crisis, the likes of which I have never seen before.

“Prior to last year’s election both the current Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, and Tánaiste, Simon Harris, gave commitments that backed up our ask for a tillage support scheme extending to €100/ac of crops grown in the country.

“We have a very worthy programme for government. Budget 2026 is now only a few weeks away, and its the first opportunity for the current government to demonstrate the tillage sector cannot be neglected," the IFA president added.