Irish grain growers meet Heydon on Budget 2026
Representatives of the Irish Grain Growers' Group (IGGG) met recently with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon to discuss the stakeholder organisation’s priorities for Budget 2026.
An IGGG spokesperson told Agriland: “We had a very positive engagement with the minister and his officials.
“This was particularly the case where our proposals to secure future tax amendments for tillage sector are concerned.
“A follow-up meeting on these matters involving department of agriculture officials and IGGG representatives will take place over the coming weeks."
The spokesperson added: “There is general agreement that the tillage sector can play a key role in delivering higher levels of sustainability across Irish agriculture as a whole. And this must be fully reflected in government policy.”
IGGG’s leadership team will be lobbying strongly over the coming weeks and months on the issues of Budget 2026 and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) review proposals, recently published by the European Commission in Brussels.
“The CAP review will be of deep concern to every tillage farmer in Ireland,” the IGGG representative continued.
“The proposals on the table are totally unacceptable."
The spokesperson said that If the proposals are implemented, they will "further reduce the core support funding levels available to the crops’ sector".
“It really is a case of 'here we go again'. This is the third consecutive review of the CAP that will act to suck funding away from tillage.
“It started with the decision to introduce a process of conversion within the basic payment model at the CAP review before last.
"And what’s on the table now is a continuation of this process. This is totally unacceptable.”
Meanwhile, Harvest 2025 continues apace. This week will see tillage farmers continue with the cutting of winter oats and oilseed rape crops with winter wheat and spring cereals to follow.
IGGG is confirming that harvest 2025 yields should be in line a five-year average figure. Straw - certainly where winter cereals are concerned - is of high quality with regular customers doing deals similar to last season.
Yield of straw in spring barley looks like, at this point, will be back on last year's levels.
There is also the prospect of early-sown spring barley crops being harvested this week .
However, a key issue – specifically with regard to the prospects for malting barley - has arisen.
According to the IGGG representative: “It has been made known to us that some merchants with ties to Boortmalt have placed a quota of 1.9t/ac on the malting barley intakes they will accept this year.
“This is irrespective of what quantities of barley delivered actually meet the malting criteria. So, in cases, let’s say, where growers are achieving certified barley yields of 3t/ac, this means that 1.1t will be sent for feed.
It’s a totally unacceptable situation.
“Tirlán and Dairygold have stated that malting barley contracts will not be cut for the 2025 season.”
