Just in excess of 2,500 herds applied for the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM) in 2022, according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
Applications are now being processed for a total crop area of just over 52,000ha.
The SIM – which was introduced as a pilot scheme in 2021 – provides a payment for chopping straw and incorporating it into the soil.
Payments are only issued on at least 5ha but on no more than 40ha, and there is an overall budget of €15 million for this scheme in 2022.
The payment rate is €250/ha for cereal straw from barley, wheat, oats and rye; and €150/ha for oilseed rape straw.
Last December, €8 million was paid to 1,700 tillage farmers who applied for the scheme in 2021
Criteria for Straw Incorporation Measure
In order to qualify for the scheme, farmers must be cultivating any or all of the following crops which must be declared on their Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) application:
- Winter or spring oats;
- Rye;
- Winter or spring wheat;
- Winter or spring barley;
- Winter or spring oilseed rape.
Another condition is that as soon as possible after the crops have been harvested, the straw must be chopped, spread evenly and incorporated into the soil.
The total area/crop for 2022 is set out in the table below.
Crops Area (ha) Barley – spring 10,700 Barley – winter 2,800 Oats – spring 6,500 Oats – winter 8,300 Oilseed rape – spring 990 Oilseed rape – winter 11,100 Rye 290 Wheat – spring 1,800 Wheat – winter 10,000 Total 52,480
The DAFM has said that these areas are subject to change as the processing of applications will continue for a number of months prior to payments issuing.