Minister Heydon and Minister Collins announce the opening of the Fuel Support Scheme for Specialist Horticulture

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for Horticulture, at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Niall Collins TD, have today announced the opening of the Fuel Support Scheme for Specialist Horticulture. The scheme forms part of the €100 million allocated by Government for fuel income supports for farmers, fishers and agricultural contractors in response to the Middle East crisis.

Announcing the opening of the scheme, Minister Heydon said:

Minister of State Collins added:

The Fuel Support Scheme for Specialist Horticulture has been introduced to support specialist horticultural growers facing unprecedented increases in fuel costs. The scheme will provide a once off payment to specialist horticulture growers to help mitigate the continued increases in fuel costs.

The Fuel Support Scheme for Specialist Horticulture is open to commercial horticulture growers producing tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, strawberries, chillies, herbs and hydroponically grown lettuce in an eligible structure using an eligible fuel. Eligibility for the scheme will be based on recorded fuel usage for the primary production of specialist horticulture crops last year.

The scheme will remain open for online applications until midnight, Wednesday, 24 June 2026. As this scheme is being implemented under the Temporary Crisis Framework set up by the EU Commission and all applicable State Aid Rules, payments will only be made to applicants once State Aid approval has been received by the Department. Further information on the Fuel Support Scheme for Specialist Horticulture can be found here.

Further information on the Fuel Support Scheme for Specialist Horticulture including the scheme Terms & Conditions and the Application Form can be found here.

Closing date for applications is midnight Wednesday 24th June 2026.

Any queries regarding this Scheme can be emailed to HortFuelSupport@agriculture.gov.ie

Eligibility Requirements:

To be eligible for consideration under the Fuel Support Scheme for Specialist Horticulture, applicants must meet the following key conditions:

• Be an active commercial horticulture primary producer currently producing, in Ireland, one of the following eligible crops (monocrop only) in line with good commercial practice in an eligible structure using an eligible fuel.

Eligible Structures: Heated glasshouses, mushroom tunnels/houses

Eligible Crops: Cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers (Chilli), strawberries, herbs, hydroponically grown lettuce

Eligible Fuels: Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG), Natural Gas, Kerosene, Marked Gas Oil

• All applicants must be tax compliant.
• Have an up-to-date registration with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine as a Food Business Operator (FBO).
• Applicants must have completed the Horticulture Census 2025 at the time of application. Census can be found at EUSurvey - Survey.
• Be aged eighteen years or over on date of submission of the application for participation.