Next week’s budget is likely to contain a figure upwards of €2bn for agriculture. However, much of this funding has already been allocated either through the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) Strategic Plan 2023-2027 or the National Rural Development Plan.
There are a number of important schemes in receipt of national exchequer funding on an annual basis and all eyes will be on Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Finance, and Martin Heydon, Minister for Agriculture, to see if such funding is maintained and what new funding is possibly committed.
Below is a summary of schemes or funding in the mix.
Tillage support: Tillage farmers are facing financial pressure with many crops said to be not covering costs of production. Then Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue delivered a payment of €100/ha for tillage and field grown crops, including horticultural crops harvested in 2024 under the Tillage and Horticultural Support 2024. The scheme paid €32.36m to 10,699 farmers and was an important payment received ahead of spring planting in 2025.
The tillage sector is looking to build on this support and is seeking a payment of €60m per annum and the introduction of a commitment for longer-term payment over a three to five year period. The are positive soundings around a support payment but whether it spans more than just budget 2026 and goes significantly beyond last year’s payment remains to be seen. The €10m straw incorporation scheme will be used as a point of support but this funding is already allocated under CAP.
Beef support: The National Beef Welfare Scheme received a top-up of funding of €8m in Budget 2025 bringing total funds to €28m. This facilitated an increase in the payment rate from €50 per eligible calf to €75 per eligible calf and also increased the eligible number from 40 to 45 calves.
The scheme is widely accepted as a good practical scheme among farmers, demonstrated by 24,476 applying again in 2025, and delivered on the Government’s election manifesto of bringing the support payment to suckler cows above the €200/head mark.
There are soundings that the additional funds allocated in 2025 could be in the firing line and if so this would not sit well with suckler farmers.
Sheep support: Funding allocated to the 2025 National Sheep Welfare Scheme received similar funding to the beef welfare scheme with funds allocated increasing by €7m to reach €22m. This delivered on a commitment by then Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to bring the level of funding allocated to sheep farmers to €25/ewe.
This was achieved through a €5/ewe higher payment in the welfare scheme bringing the total potential payment to €13/ewe and the existing payment under the Sheep Improvement Scheme of €12/ewe. The scheme is a critical support mechanism for over 18,000 farmers but the increase in funds allocated in 2025 is also said to be under threat.
The national flock is at a critical juncture with ewe numbers falling by over 200,000 in the last couple of years and throughput down a massive figure of 700,000 head in the same period. Any deviation from current funding would be a blow to a sector struggling to stem the decline in numbers.
Organics scheme: Additional funding will be allocated to the Organic Farming Scheme for 2026 but this will be to service a higher participation rate. With so much pressure on funding and the absence of the Green Party pushing for more funds in negotiations reports indicate it is difficult to see the scheme reopening to new applicants for 2026.
The exception to this could be for tillage and dairy farms, with these making up a very small percentage of participants and it could be a way of offering another support avenue to the tillage sector.
ACRES funding: Similar to the Organic Farming Scheme there is likely to be higher funding allocated to the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme in 2026 to meet existing commitments such as payment for non-productive investments, landscape actions etc. This funding has already been allocated, mainly as part of the programme for Government.
Dairy beef schemes: A new National Dairy Beef Weighing Scheme was launched in March 2025 with funding of €4m. The scheme offers participants payment of €20 per eligible calf up to a maximum of 50 calves in return for weight recording. The scheme returned in 2025 following strong calls for its reintroduction after it was axed and replaced in the CAP Strategic Plan by the CSP Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme. Any similar move would not go down well for 2026.
Forgotten farmers: The ‘forgotten farmers’ grouping received funding of €5m in 2025. There were numerous calls following the opening of a scheme for funding to be increased to allow a wider array of farmers to receive support. Talk on the prospect of this being delivered has been quiet.
Animal health: Funding of €10m was allocated to what was described as ‘additional measures for animal health including targeted advice for farmers, as well as IBR and BVD’.
There was no movement on an IBR control programme but supports were delivered for BVD and the TASAH programme including advice on TB eradication. All of these remain concerns for 2026 so it is likely funding will be allocated again.
Miscellaneous: Funding of €2.5m was allocated in recent years for farm safety initiatives which remain an important element. The popular red clover silage and multispecies swards measures received funding of €1.5m and €1.25m, respectively.
These are schemes the Government has put a lot of weight behind in recent years in encouraging the growth of such crops. The continuation of the soil sampling programme, which received funding of €6m in 2025, is uncertain.
Next week’s budget is likely to contain a figure upwards of €2bn for agriculture. However, much of this funding has already been allocated either through the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) Strategic Plan 2023-2027 or the National Rural Development Plan.
There are a number of important schemes in receipt of national exchequer funding on an annual basis and all eyes will be on Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Finance, and Martin Heydon, Minister for Agriculture, to see if such funding is maintained and what new funding is possibly committed.
Below is a summary of schemes or funding in the mix.
Tillage support: Tillage farmers are facing financial pressure with many crops said to be not covering costs of production. Then Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue delivered a payment of €100/ha for tillage and field grown crops, including horticultural crops harvested in 2024 under the Tillage and Horticultural Support 2024. The scheme paid €32.36m to 10,699 farmers and was an important payment received ahead of spring planting in 2025.
The tillage sector is looking to build on this support and is seeking a payment of €60m per annum and the introduction of a commitment for longer-term payment over a three to five year period. The are positive soundings around a support payment but whether it spans more than just budget 2026 and goes significantly beyond last year’s payment remains to be seen. The €10m straw incorporation scheme will be used as a point of support but this funding is already allocated under CAP.
Beef support: The National Beef Welfare Scheme received a top-up of funding of €8m in Budget 2025 bringing total funds to €28m. This facilitated an increase in the payment rate from €50 per eligible calf to €75 per eligible calf and also increased the eligible number from 40 to 45 calves.
The scheme is widely accepted as a good practical scheme among farmers, demonstrated by 24,476 applying again in 2025, and delivered on the Government’s election manifesto of bringing the support payment to suckler cows above the €200/head mark.
There are soundings that the additional funds allocated in 2025 could be in the firing line and if so this would not sit well with suckler farmers.
Sheep support: Funding allocated to the 2025 National Sheep Welfare Scheme received similar funding to the beef welfare scheme with funds allocated increasing by €7m to reach €22m. This delivered on a commitment by then Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to bring the level of funding allocated to sheep farmers to €25/ewe.
This was achieved through a €5/ewe higher payment in the welfare scheme bringing the total potential payment to €13/ewe and the existing payment under the Sheep Improvement Scheme of €12/ewe. The scheme is a critical support mechanism for over 18,000 farmers but the increase in funds allocated in 2025 is also said to be under threat.
The national flock is at a critical juncture with ewe numbers falling by over 200,000 in the last couple of years and throughput down a massive figure of 700,000 head in the same period. Any deviation from current funding would be a blow to a sector struggling to stem the decline in numbers.
Organics scheme: Additional funding will be allocated to the Organic Farming Scheme for 2026 but this will be to service a higher participation rate. With so much pressure on funding and the absence of the Green Party pushing for more funds in negotiations reports indicate it is difficult to see the scheme reopening to new applicants for 2026.
The exception to this could be for tillage and dairy farms, with these making up a very small percentage of participants and it could be a way of offering another support avenue to the tillage sector.
ACRES funding: Similar to the Organic Farming Scheme there is likely to be higher funding allocated to the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme in 2026 to meet existing commitments such as payment for non-productive investments, landscape actions etc. This funding has already been allocated, mainly as part of the programme for Government.
Dairy beef schemes: A new National Dairy Beef Weighing Scheme was launched in March 2025 with funding of €4m. The scheme offers participants payment of €20 per eligible calf up to a maximum of 50 calves in return for weight recording. The scheme returned in 2025 following strong calls for its reintroduction after it was axed and replaced in the CAP Strategic Plan by the CSP Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme. Any similar move would not go down well for 2026.
Forgotten farmers: The ‘forgotten farmers’ grouping received funding of €5m in 2025. There were numerous calls following the opening of a scheme for funding to be increased to allow a wider array of farmers to receive support. Talk on the prospect of this being delivered has been quiet.
Animal health: Funding of €10m was allocated to what was described as ‘additional measures for animal health including targeted advice for farmers, as well as IBR and BVD’.
There was no movement on an IBR control programme but supports were delivered for BVD and the TASAH programme including advice on TB eradication. All of these remain concerns for 2026 so it is likely funding will be allocated again.
Miscellaneous: Funding of €2.5m was allocated in recent years for farm safety initiatives which remain an important element. The popular red clover silage and multispecies swards measures received funding of €1.5m and €1.25m, respectively.
These are schemes the Government has put a lot of weight behind in recent years in encouraging the growth of such crops. The continuation of the soil sampling programme, which received funding of €6m in 2025, is uncertain.
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