The Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed launched the TAMS II Tillage Capital Investment Scheme in early March this year. The new scheme has been a long time in the making and its launch was very much welcomed by tillage farmers. There are a large number of items covered including minimum disturbance tillage equipment, sprayers, rainwater harvesting, grain storage and grain dryers.

The grant aid available is quite attractive but farmers should consider all options before making an application to the scheme. Remember, farmers have to pay for the investment in full before they will receive grant money. This can put severe pressure on finances and requires careful cashflow planning, especially where big investments are being undertaken.

Farmers should do a full costing for the investment and make sure that a contingency sum is put in place in case any aspect of the building work goes over budget. Some smaller farmers looking to buy machinery now might consider buying in secondhand equipment rather than purchasing new gear through the scheme. Secondhand equipment is not covered by grant aid but its availability is predicted to grow as the TAMS II tillage scheme matures.

There has been some controversy regarding the specifications for new machinery covered in the scheme. Paul Mooney outlines the most up-to-date news on these specs which were clarified by the Department recently.

The new scheme can also be used to make the farm safer. As Alison Sinnott writes in her farm safety feature, there are a number of items covered in the scheme that can make a tillage operation safer. Many of these items covered are not very expensive but can make a huge contribution towards a safer farmyard.

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TAMS II Tillage Capital Investment Scheme FAQ

Grain drying equipment covered under TAMS II