The Irish Farmers Journal understands that farmers who left the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM) before last week’s announcement of a €175/ha payment for baling will be paid this money.

Last Thursday, nine days after Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue sought to suspend the scheme, the Minister reinstated the SIM and introduced a payment of €175/ha for those who leave the SIM and bale.

A spokesperson for the Minister told the Irish Farmers Journal that there were just over 20 farmers who pulled out of the SIM before the announcement and those farmers will have the option to be paid the €175/ha for baling.

It was also clarified to the Irish Farmers Journal that oilseed rape straw will not qualify for the €175/ha payment.

This is understandable as it has a lower-value for bedding and many crops are sprayed with a herbicide which does not allow the straw to be baled.

All farmers who entered the SIM and decide to stay in the measure will qualify for payment this year. There will be no ranking or selection.

Frustration

The announcement of the €175/ha payment has been met with frustration from many farmers, particularly those who would previously have applied for the SIM, but decided not to this season in order to supply the straw market which is in deficit.

Others have said it is interfering with the straw market and is giving one farmer more profit over another.

Other farmers have also criticised the fact that they cannot pull parcels from the scheme and be paid to sell whole crop silage.

If this was the case the payment would need to differ as the livestock farmer would most likely pay for the harvesting and transport of the crop.