The Irish Farmers Journal understands that the Minister for Agriculture is on the cusp of establishing a Food Vision tillage group.

The new group is expected to examine how to maintain tillage area and ultimately increase it by over 50,000ha, as set out in the Government’s Climate Action Plan.

The development will no doubt be welcomed by the sector, which has been frustrated by the lack of representation.

Tillage area looks set to decline this year as farmers face land price pressures due to demand from dairy farmers as an unintended consequence of recent nitrates changes and, in some counties, solar farms.