The Protein Aid Scheme could be approximately €510/ha this year, based on figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on crop area.
The figure will be confirmed by the Department once final figures are available, usually around December time.
Preliminary figures show that 17,910ha of peas, beans and lupins have been planted in 2026, as well as 3,383ha of protein/cereal mix crops.
Peas, beans and lupins receive the full payment, while the protein cereal mix crops receive half of the payment, which would equate to about €255/ha at current estimates.
Increase
The payment is generally based on dividing the €10m budget by the crop area. The budget was increased from €7 to €10m in 2025 until 2027, based on the end of the current CAP.
Before the budget was increased, there had been suggestions that the payment would be capped at different levels.
In 2025, it was announced that the maximum payment would be €600/ha. The area was smaller in 2025, so, if divided into the budget, the payment could have hit somewhere around €670/ha.
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