Ireland plans funding for all SIM applicants

All applicants to the 2026 Straw Incorporation Measure will be accepted, even though the submissions exceed the scheme’s €10 million budget, with more than 73,000 hectares of cereal and oilseed rape straw entered for chopping and incorporation. Minister Martin Heydon said the programme remains highly popular among tillage farmers and that extra funding will be sought to cover all successful applications, while acceptance letters are set to be issued in the coming days. Farmers retain the option to withdraw if they identify a need for straw, and the payments are structured at €250 per hectare for cereal straw and €150 per hectare for oilseed rape straw. The Irish Farmers Journal and IFA officials have emphasized the necessity of securing additional funds to meet demand and provide certainty for farmers, noting SIM’s broader role in environmental sustainability and the straw market balance. While the official budget is €10 million, some analyses suggest the total cost to pay all applicants could be around €16.8 million, underscoring the pressure on funding for tillage sectors. Parallel statements from farming groups reiterate the importance of keeping full funding to avoid undermining farmers’ incomes and to sustain the environmental benefits of returning organic matter to the soil.