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Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

30 schemes tracked

Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM)

The Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM) pays tillage farmers in Ireland to chop, spread, and incorporate cereal or oilseed rape straw back into the soil after harvest, improving soil organic matter. Payment is €250/ha for cereals (oats, wheat, rye, barley) or €150/ha for oilseed rape, on a minimum of 5 and maximum of 40 hectares.

Grant range
€250 - €590 per hectare
Funding level
100%
Support type
Grant
Last checked
3 Sept 2026
Start this application on Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's website (opens in a new tab)

About this scheme

The Straw Incorporation Measure pays farmers to chop straw from eligible tillage crops, spread it evenly, and incorporate it into the soil as soon as possible after harvest, returning organic matter and nutrients to the land rather than removing the straw. Eligible crops are spring and winter oats, spring and winter wheat, rye, spring and winter barley, and spring and winter oilseed rape. Payment rates vary by crop, applied on a minimum of 5 hectares and a maximum of 40 hectares per applicant. To qualify, a farmer must submit a BISS application each year declaring farmland within the jurisdiction of Ireland, grow one of the eligible crops, and apply for SIM as part of that BISS application; successful applicants are notified in June. SIM is applied for via agfood.ie, either directly by the farmer or through a Farm Advisory System (FAS) approved advisor.

Who can apply

  • Must submit a Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application each year, declaring land located within the jurisdiction of Ireland, growing the eligible crops, and applying for SIM as part of it
  • Eligible crops: spring oats, winter oats, winter wheat, spring wheat, rye, winter barley, spring barley, winter oilseed rape, spring oilseed rape
  • As soon as possible after harvest, the straw must be chopped, spread evenly, and incorporated into the soil
  • Payment applies on a minimum of 5 hectares and a maximum of 40 hectares
  • Payment rate is €250 per hectare for oats, rye, wheat, and barley
  • Payment rate is €150 per hectare for oilseed rape (spring or winter)

How to apply

  1. Apply for SIM as part of your Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application — it is not a separate application.
  2. Submit the application yourself, or employ a Farm Advisory System (FAS) approved advisor to submit it on your behalf.
  3. Apply online by logging in or registering at agfood.ie.
  4. Submit by the scheme closing date (stated on the page as midnight, 29 May 2023).
  5. Await notification of a successful application (stated as issuing in June), then chop, spread, and incorporate straw into the soil as soon as possible after harvesting the eligible crop.