The allocation of €30m for a tillage support scheme announced in Budget 2026 was unveiled this week, with the launch of the National Tillage Sustainability Support Scheme (NTSSS).

The scheme will provide a support payment to farmers who declared at least 1ha of certain cereals or oilseed rape crops on their 2025 Basic Income Support for Sustainability application.

Eligible crops under the scheme are barley, wheat, oats, rye, triticale and oilseed rape. The rate of payment is degressive with a payment of €110 per eligible hectare ,up to a maximum of 100ha.

The payment reduces to €90/ha for each hectare greater than 100ha and less than or equal to 125ha.

The next 25ha up to or equal to 150ha will be paid at €70/ha with a payment of €50/ha thereafter.

Application process

Applications must be submitted online via the Department’s MyAgfood.ie or agfood.ie portals. The Department is advancing with its transition from agfood.ie to MyAgfood.ie and, as such, those logging in to their account will now be directed to the MyAgfood.ie login page.

There is still an option to default to the old agfood.ie login, but at this stage it is worth farmers exploring the new features that the MyAgfood.ie system has to offer.

Where it is your first time to login in to the system, there may be a couple of steps to get to the application page. There are two options to get to the NTSSS application window – via the ‘my schemes and services’ tab or by typing tillage in to the search bar which reads ‘find a scheme or service’.

If you select the first option of ‘my schemes and services’ it may or may not have a prepopulated listing of schemes previously applied for. Under the ‘my schemes’ section there is a link highlighted as ‘to find a scheme you can search our list of schemes and services’.

  • When you click on this it will present another option to search for the scheme or a tab at the bottom to view the next 10 schemes. The portal for the tillage sustainability support payment is found on the last scheme page. When you click on this it brings you to the login page. There are five tabs at the top to denote the stage at which the application is at.
  • It starts at ‘no application’ and under this is the business ID or herd number and the name of the herd owner. To the right under the heading ‘actions’ is a plus symbol.
  • Clicking on this symbol creates the application form. There are five key terms and conditions that applicants should read. Once they are happy to progress, the next step is to tick the box ‘I/we commit to apply for aid under the Tillage Sustainability Support Scheme’.
  • Clicking ‘next’ will bring you to the next interface, where you can click to submit the application, return to the previous page or cancel your application. If you click ‘submit’ it will confirm that the application has been submitted along with detailing the date of application.

    • Farmers having any difficulty applying can ring the helpdesk at 057-867-4422 with any queries they may have, or alternatively they can also email tillage@agriculture.gov.ie.