Farmers planting tillage crops into grass to avail of the tillage incentive measure will not be able to plant potatoes.

The scheme offers farmers a payment of €400/ha for planting some tillage crops into grassland, fallow and some other crops, but farmers planting potatoes into grassland will not be able to avail of the scheme.

The news comes as the Department of Agriculture announced the terms and conditions of the scheme.

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The scheme details state that there are two key eligibility requirements:

1.“There must be an increase in the total area declared of barley, wheat, oats, rye, oilseed rape, maize, and beet on the 2022 BPS application over the 2021 BPS area. For example, 20 hectares of eligible crops declared in 2021 and 30 hectares of eligible crops declared in 2022 results in 10 hectares increase.”

2.“The increased area eligible for payment is determined by the area of grassland 2021 parcels converted to eligible crops. Taking the example of a 10 hectares increase from above.”

It should be noted that beans, peas, lupins and combi crops will fall under the Protein Aid Scheme which is now at a minimum payment of €300/ha. Combi crops will receive half this payment.

Grassland, but not grassland

The terms and conditions then go on to describe what is considered grassland. It then goes on to state a number of crops which are not grass crops.

“The crops considered as grassland in 2021 include alfalfa, clover, fallow, grass (year one to five), grassmeal, hemp, lucerne, miscanthus sinensis, permanent pasture, potatoes, red clover and willow.”

Otherwise, the terms and conditions are pretty much as expected. The payment will be made once the necessary change has occurred on the BPS application.

Protein crops, combi crops or mixed crops will not be eligible. Crops can be undersown with grass. Whole cropping is allowed.

Inspection

Parcels will be subject to inspection by satellite and field “to ensure crops are grown to a good commercial standard, in terms of adequate seeding rate, crop establishment and management. The Department will expect farmers to grow a crop to best commercial practice to achieve a reasonable crop yield”.

Comment

The move is a somewhat disappointing one. Potatoes is a staple in our diets, which we are not self-sufficient in in this country. The Minister for Agriculture set up a National Fodder and Food Security Committee, yet there seems to be no focus on food for human consumption and this is another decision that reaffirms this stance.

Crop Diversification requirements

The Department has also announced that a derogation has been granted on the crop diversification requirements for 2022. Meaning that farmers do not need to guarantee certain areas of crops.