Agricultural organisations: Suspension of straw integration measure ‘unacceptable’

The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) and Irish Grain Growers (IGG) have described the proposal to suspend the Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM) as “totally unacceptable”.

The farming organisations outlined their position at a meeting with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Charlie McConalogue, at Gurteen Agriculture College in County Tipperary this morning (Thursday 18 July).

Yesterday, the Minister announced his intention to request a postponement of the 2024 SIM programme from the European Commission.

Minister McConalogue said that while he understood that arable farmers “may be disappointed by this move”, due to shortages and the need to replenish stocks, there was “a very strong market for straw this year”.

Straw incorporation measure

In a joint statement, the delegation, which included IFA President Francie Gorman and IGG Chairman Bobby Miller, said they had made it clear to Minister McConalogue that his decision to suspend the program “must be reversed immediately.”

They said the minister had offered a follow-up meeting with farmers’ unions for next week.

However, the delegation insisted that “next week was too late” and that the minister needed to “urgently clarify the matter”.

“IFA and IGG have made it clear that the minister must meet with us again tomorrow or at the weekend. That remains our position,” the statement said.

“Both the IFA and the IGG made it clear that this decision is not accepted and that the Minister must reconsider his decision.

“This decision is contrary to the Food Vision Tillage report, discussions in last week’s National Fodder and Food Security Committee (NFFSC) and the recently agreed Farmers’ Charter.

“Farmers decided to grow their crops based on a plan announced by the minister. He is now withdrawing this plan after the harvest has begun.

“If the minister can do this to arable farmers, he can do it to any farmer with the stroke of a pen. That will not be accepted,” said the farmers’ associations.

IFA President Francie Gorman described the decision as the Minister’s “sole initiative” and expressed his deep dissatisfaction with the Minister’s decision last night at an agricultural discussion organised by the IFA in County Galway.

The straw incorporation measure is a payment for chopping and incorporating straw into the soil.

The program is very popular with arable farmers and resulted in payments totaling EUR 12.3 million in 2023.

Minister McConalogue has stated that he will continue to work with farming organisations on the SIM.