GLAS participants who included the Low-emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) action in their GLAS Tranche 1, 2 or 3 applications can expect to receive their 2017 annual declaration form in the coming days, the Department of Agriculture has stated.

The forms are to be returned to the department no later than 27 October 2017.

If a farmer fails to have the form returned by this date, they run the risk of their 2017 GLAS payment being delayed.

Some 4,876 farmers have chosen the LESS action across all three tranches in GLAS, this resulted in 1.043m³ of slurry being applied in this manner in 2016.

It is expected that this number will be higher for 2017.

Payments to the 50,000 farmers currently in GLAS are expected to roll out from the end of October and early November. Payments from the scheme will total €220m.

TAMS

With TAMS grant aid available for LESS equipment, it greatly helped the number of applicants choosing this action under GLAS.

Grant aid of 40% is available up to an investment ceiling of €40,000 (excluding VAT) per holding.

As of July, 875 applications had been made to the Department of Agriculture for the LESS scheme in TAMS in all six tranches.

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Farmers risk having GLAS payments delayed if they do not return the form on time.