Certainly the Minister for Agriculture grabbed everyone’s attention when he suspended this year’s straw incorporation scheme last week.

I have never before seen ministers of State dissociate themselves from the actions of their senior minister – both Martin Hayden (Fine Gael) and Pippa Hackett (Green Party) criticised the measure.

For the last few years, the straw incorporation scheme worked well from a farmer’s point of view. The application to participate was made at the same time and on the same form as the overall BISS submission, with a ceiling of 100 acres per applicant.

Some growers tended to use it for the more difficult to sell oilseed rape and oaten straw. For the general run of growers, it placed a welcome floor under the price of a byproduct.

Looking at it objectively, if the minister conveyed to the EU Commission his concern about a possible fodder shortage, there was not going to be a problem in getting the go ahead for the money to be paid out to the growers who had already applied, while removing the obligation to chop the straw.

Given the recent statement by the heads of all EU governments after their summit meeting that greater latitude would be given to member states to implement individual national measures for farmers, one could argue that permission was, in effect, given in advance for such a decision.

Meeting

In the event and following the meeting earlier this week with the farm organisations, this looks as if this is what will actually happen.

Why there couldn’t have been some sensible consultation in advance of the announcement once the potential fodder shortage was identified needs to be answered.

Instead we had a few days of chaos, instigated by a normally sure-footed minister.

On the broader tillage front, the minister still has to give a detailed response to the overall Food Vision report.

Given the controversy over the last few days and the likely trends in tillage incomes this year, following the 70% drop in 2023, which Teagasc released this week, the urgency for clear government guidance to the Irish tillage sector is clear.

With both weather difficulties at home and weak international prices abroad, the need for clarity has been accentuated.

Editor’s Note: Matt Dempsey is Chairman of the Food Vision Tillage Group.