I thank the Minister and acknowledge his response. As he knows, tillage is a vital part of our food security. Given what is happening globally and the uncertainty that prevails, a reliable and viable tillage sector is required to ensure a food supply. It is also important to speak to the fact that tillage is effectively a carbon-neutral, if not better, area of agriculture and, as such, can play an important role in reducing the carbon footprint of the agriculture sector, if fully supported. In June 2023, the then Minister for agriculture committed to achieving the target of increasing the tillage area to 400,000 ha by 2030. However, figures from the industry at that time suggested that the tillage area was set to decline. In 2012, an estimated 355,000 ha of land in the country were under tillage but by 2024, that had dropped to 334,000 ha. Tillage plays a vital role in the agricultural economy, particularly in the context of food sustainability. It is essential that we increase the tillage area as a matter of urgency because we cannot depend, as we have already seen, on others due to the global uncertainty that prevails at this time.

Sentiment score: 0.38

I acknowledge that we may have a better year this year but the tillage sector has suffered crippling losses over recent years. We have seen fertiliser prices increase by up to 300% since the war in Ukraine began. We have seen tillage farm incomes plummet. In 2022, the average tillage farm income was €76,600. In 2024, it had plummeted to €30,000. Tillage farmers cannot take any more of these losses. They need assistance and assurance. Counties like my own county of Wexford are taking a serious hit. The IFA tells us that the economic viability of the sector is very precarious for 2025 and that the sector will be extremely vulnerable in the coming years. Forward barley prices for harvest in 2025 are €185 per tonne. This is well below the cost of production for many farmers. It is unsustainable and the sector must be supported if we are to see people remain in it and see incomes rise. It is vital that the sector receive the absolute commitment and support of the Minister. I acknowledge that, in his contribution, the Minister said he is supportive of the sector but it is crucial that a new tillage incentive scheme is introduced to support tillage growers and that we begin to be more self-sufficient when it comes to the supply of our own native grain.

Sentiment score: 0.06