The Irish Farmers Journal now has the breakdown of crop areas which were applied for in the Straw Incorporation Measure.

On Wednesday Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue announced that he was seeking to suspend the measure for 2024.

The SIM was oversubscribed at a total of 56,142ha.

Those areas are as follows:

Spring wheat - 1,759ha

Spring barley - 15,902ha

Spring oats - 12,925ha

Winter wheat - 7,918ha

Winter barley - 2,072ha

Winter oats - 3,227ha

Rye - 320ha

Total cereals – 44,123ha

Spring oilseed rape - 801ha

Winter oilseed rape - 11,219ha

Total oilseed rape – 12,020ha

To put these figures into perspective 17,911ha of spring oats, winter oats and spring wheat have been applied for which will be hard to bale in the autumn. It will be low yielding and has low demand from the livestock sector.

Adding in oilseed rape which is of low value to livestock farms and some of which has had Astrokerb applied which means it cannot be used for farmyard manure brings the total amount of low value straw applied for in the scheme to 29,931ha.

The remainder of crops have valid reasons for being in the scheme from poor and patchy winter crops with low straw yields to late-sown spring cereals which will be extremely difficult to bale and save in good condition.