Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon stands by his decision to top up the Straw Incorporation Measure’s budget for 2025.

In June, he announced that all applicants to the SIM would be accepted into the scheme, while reminding people that they can pull out of the scheme if they have a market for their straw.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal’s Tillage Podcast at Crops and Technology in Carlow last week he said: “The reason I stood in on straw incorporation is because I’m a major fan of the scheme. I stood up for it last year when I felt there was a mistake being made around policy direction. I absolutely defend that.”

“Tillage farmers are smart. I’ve never met a tillage farmer that ploughs good straw into the ground when it’s making a good price in a bale from the livestock side, but then we have plenty of bad straw that isn’t suited for bedding or for feed or for the livestock side.”

The Minister said that this straw being added back into the soil has the benefit of adding organic matter to the soil.

The Minister said that between topping up the SIM budget and the €10m Protein Aid Scheme budget he has used the opportunities available to support the tillage sector. He added “I know it needs it”.