Farm building work is currently undergoing a resurgence driven primarily by the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) II, which provides grant aid for on-farm infrastructure.

The abolition of milk quotas in 2015 has also played a part in the rise in agricultural developments with dairy farmers investing in animal housing and new facilities for their expanding herds. Building a new shed through TAMS II requires even more attention to detail. All sheds built through TAMS II must meet the Department of Agriculture specifications. These specifications are available on the Department’s website and farmers should read the specifications relevant to their planned development to make sure the work is carried out properly.

We look at the stipulations in place for concrete used on agricultural buildings. Some farmers find that these specifications add significantly to the cost but they are in place to extend the life of the buildings. There is no reason why these buildings cannot be used in 40 years’ time or longer. There are haysheds, for example, that were built at the turn of the last century still in use on farms today because the quality of the materials used was top-notch. By not taking shortcuts to save money in the short term you should be able to extend the usable life of the buildings which will pay dividends financially.

In the Focus, Sean Mullooly and Andy Doyle look at two impressive developments on dairy and tillage farms that will no doubt stand the test of time because they were built to such a high standard.