Payments have begun issuing to tillage farmers under the Protein Aid Scheme, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has announced.

“We can confirm that payments totalling €9m have commenced issuing under the 2024 Protein Aid Scheme and will be visible in farmers' bank accounts in the coming days.

“The payment provided under this scheme is an important support for tillage farmers for the growing of protein crops, including beans, peas, lupins and the protein cereal mix crop.

“These protein crops deliver a range of environmental benefits in addition to reducing our reliance on imported sources of protein for animal feed,” Minister McConalogue said.

The total area in the scheme increased in 2024 to over 21,600ha.

The scheme was introduced to provide support to tillage farmers in establishing nitrogen-fixing crops, which are of environmental benefit in addition to reducing the dependency on imported protein for use in animal feeds.

Meanwhile, the minister confirmed that payments under the Straw Incorporation Measure payments will start issuing to farmers next week.