Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon told the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) tillage crisis meeting on Friday night that the sector is a key cog in the wheel of agriculture.

He acknowledged the positive environmental credentials of the sector and commented that the number of farmers in the room showed unity in the sector.

The Minister said that €57.4m in tangible support is set out for the sector this year, including the Protein Aid Measure, the Straw Incorporation Measure and the €100/ha support payment.

He said he would seek an increase in Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funding and that the policy would be a priority in the negotiations for the next policy.

Budget

On Budget 2026, he said it is his first budget as Minister for Agriculture.

He hopes to secure the most amount of money for his Department, which needs to be distributed across competing priorities and mentioned issues such as TB that need to be addressed.

“I do want to support the tillage sector, which is under significant pressure,” he said.

The Minister commented that the huge crowd in attendance was important in advance of the budget.

He encouraged growers to bring up their concerns with politicians at the National Ploughing Championships next week.

He stated that he and the Government remain committed to the sector. The meeting was opened to the floor after the Minister’s address.