Co. Cork farmers received the largest total county payment under the Tillage Incentive Scheme (TIS) in 2022, according to figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

The data reveals that farmers in the Rebel County received a total of €1.3 million from the department last year.

This was closely followed by Co. Wexford which received a total of €1.2 million in payments under the TIS in 2022.

The scheme is a support measure for farmers to incentivise the increase in the eligible tillage crop area in 2023 to reduce the dependency on imported feed material.

Tillage Incentive Scheme

A total of €10.9 million was paid out through the TIS in 2022 according to the DAFM.

The table below outlines what each county received as a result of farmers applying from that location.

2022 Tillage Incentive SchemePayments issued in calendar year 2022Payments issued in 2023
Carlow€287,208€78,632
Cavan€26,748€6,116
Clare€13,304€12,000
Cork€1,306,808€466,192
Donegal€323,908€85,160
Dublin€246,564€29,916
Galway€252,100€72,364
Kerry€224,308€85,608
Kildare€319,972€68,800
Kilkenny€469,880€169,024
Laois€329,412€59,008
Leitrim
Limerick€155,312€48,052
Longford€72,776€15,200
Louth€413,724€30,652
Mayo€53,520€13,944
Meath€775,736€76,884
Monaghan€69,308€18,464
Offaly€366,476€160,516
Roscommon€28,380€13,524
Sligo€24,448€5,464
Tipperary€747,276€231,540
Waterford€345,044€90,980
Westmeath€276,628€119,480
Wexford€1,222,592€280,380
Wicklow€288,472€69,916
Source: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

In response to a parliamentary question from Independent Laois-Offaly TD, Carol Nolan to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, the minister stated: “Payments under the 2022 TIS commenced in December 2022 for all applications which were cleared at that time.

“Payments continued to issue into calendar year 2023 as further cases were cleared.”

Farmers are paid €200 for each eligible hectare under the maintenance option of the scheme and €400 for each eligible hectare under the newly converted land option.