Sustainability programme and promotional body: What tillage farmers want from Budget 2025
Of Farming" Group Grain That Growers Said "overarching Proposals Of Outlining 2025, Viability To Budget Tillage Irish Its Ahead The The Goal Is The Ensure
The tillage sector has outlined a series of proposals aimed at supporting its sector and promoting environmental sustainability.
The initiatives include budgetary proposals, taxation measures, enhancements to existing schemes, and the introduction of a carbon tax credit system for sustainable farming practices.
Outlining its proposals ahead of Budget 2025, the Irish Grain Growers Group said that the "overarching goal is to ensure the viability of tillage farming, encourage sustainable practices, and align agricultural activities with environmental sustainability goals".
The group has proposed enhanced capital allowances for sustainable investments to be funded in Budget 2025.
This would "encourage investment in sustainable tillage technologies and practices through significant tax incentives".
The group is seeking enhancements to the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3).
It has proposed a rise in the investment ceiling for TAMS, specifically for tillage farming projects related to sustainability and technology, up to €200,000 per holding.
The group has also called for updated reference costs to "reflect the true cost of tillage equipment", along with expanding eligibility, to "cover a wider range of sustainable practices and technologies with more focus on equipment suitable to smaller scale operations".
The group has proposed a carbon tax credit for the use of native-sourced grains.
This is to "incentivise the production and use of animal feed, food and drink to reduce carbon emissions and support local agriculture".
It has also proposed a carbon tax credit for low-emissions farming practices, along with a cereal sustainability programme to be introduced, which would involve an annual payment to curb the loss of cereals area.
The group is also seeking an amended tax relief on long-term land leases.
The objective of this is to "encourage environmentally sustainable tillage practices through tax relief for long-term land leases, with the amount of relief determined by the carbon intensity of the leased land".
It has also proposed that the Government "provide annual funding to a new promotions body specifically for the tillage sector".
