Expenditure to date for TAMS I dairy equipment projects approved under the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme (RDP) stands at €29.793m, according to the minister, while estimated expenditure for the rest of 2015 is €9.750m, bringing the total expenditure on dairy equipment to just below €40m (€39.543m). This figure represents the largest portion of the spending under TAMS I.

This is followed by funding for loose housing of sows, on which €11.971m has been spent to date, followed by poultry cages (€11.067m), sheep handling equipment (€2.393m), the farm safety scheme (€0.320m), and rainwater harvesting facilities (€0.035m).

The high spend on dairy equipment under TAMS I is a reflection of the positivity in the dairy market before the removal of EU milk quotas in 2015. This positivity saw milk prices in the EU reach as high as 40c/litre between 2012 and 2014, a significant increase on where they stand now at an average of 25c/l.

And although the number of farms with dairy cows in 2010 decreased by 13.8% compared with June 2000, according to the 2010 Census of Agriculture from the Central Statistics Office, the average number of dairy cows per farm in Ireland increased from 37 dairy cows per farm in 2000 to 39.9 dairy cows per farm in 2010. This may also be a factor in the high spend on dairy equipment under TAMS I.

TAMS II

Meanwhile, the deadline for the Dairy Equipment Scheme under TAMS II is closing in. Farmers have until Friday 16 October to submit their applications to the scheme, which offers 40% grant aid on milking equipment and milk storage up to a maximum of €80,000.

Read more: Farm payments glossary – TAMS II