Press release
Minister McConalogue announces €12.3 million of payments under the Straw Incorporation Measure
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, today announced payments have commenced issuing to farmers under the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM).
The Minister commented:
“I am delighted to confirm that payments totalling €12.3 million have commenced issuing under the 2023 SIM Scheme and will be visible in farmers bank accounts in the coming days."
The Minister added:
“The Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM) is a new scheme under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) 2023 - 2027. This scheme follows on from a successful two-year pilot in operation during 2021 and 2022. Payments under this scheme are to provide financial support for tillage farmers to increase soil organic carbon levels by chopping and incorporating straw from cereal crops.”
Concluding, the Minister said:
“The Straw Incorporation Measure has proved very popular with tillage farmers and 2023 had seen a significant uptake in the number of hectares applied to be incorporated.
“In recognition of the value straw incorporation delivers in terms of carbon sequestration, I have provided additional funding in 2023 in support of the increased hectares.
“This along with the additional funding provided under the Protein Aid Scheme clearly underlines mine and the government’s long-term commitment to the tillage sector in Ireland.”
Payments will continue to issue to the tillage sector via the Tillage Incentive Scheme which is due to commence issuing payments this week.
Farmers wishing to contact the department regarding their Straw Incorporation payment, can ring the Direct Payments Helpline at 057-8674422 or by email to Sim@agriculture.gov.ie
The EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a partnership between society and agriculture that ensures a stable supply of food, safeguards farmers’ income, protects the environment and keeps rural areas vibrant. EU countries implement the CAP at national level with a CAP Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2027.
The Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM) is a new scheme under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) 2023 - 2027 and is co-funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the EU. This scheme follows on from a successful two-year pilot in operation during 2021 and 2022.
The scheme is designed to provide financial support for tillage farmers to increase soil organic carbon levels by chopping and incorporating straw from cereal crops.
In 2023, the rate has been set at €250 per hectare for Oats, Wheat, Barley and Rye and a lower rate of €150 for Oilseed Rape straw. Payments will be visible in farmers’ bank accounts in the coming days.
In line with previous years, not all applications are currently cleared for payment under the Straw Incorporation Scheme. Regular pay runs will continue in the coming weeks to ensure cleared cases are processed for payment as quickly as possible.
Farmers can ring the Helpdesk at 057-8674422. Farmers can also submit any queries they may have online via agfood.ie or by email to sim@agriculture.gov.ie