The online system for preparing applications for the €120m Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme is now open.

This was announced by Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney who said the system can be accessed directly through the Department’s www.agfood.ie services website by farmers who are registered for these services.

Alternatively, farmers can use an approved agricultural advisor to prepare an application to the scheme. “I want to encourage as many Young Farmers as possible to avail of the very extensive list of investment opportunities that are available,” he said. The new online system is accompanied by detailed information including answers to a series of Frequently Asked Questions. A dedicated email address has also been set up to deal with other queries, including technical queries – these can be sent to tams@agriculture.gov.ie.

Minister Coveney said that the system was now live and available for the preparation of applications. The facility to submit these applications would be activated later today, Wednesday 17th June. This is to ensure that people have time to familiarise themselves with the new system and to avoid the risk of incomplete applications being inadvertently submitted, he said.

He stressed that it would be this date – 16 June - and not any earlier one, that would be used to assess farmers’ eligibility for the scheme as regards age and date of set-up.

The closing date for the current, first tranche of applications is Friday 18 September. “This is just the first tranche of applications, however,” the Minister said. “These tranches will be organised regularly and it is important for farmers to remember that, particularly when they need time to organise planning-permission for any new construction.”

Grant-aid will be available under this Scheme and the Animal Welfare, Safety and Nutrient Storage Schemes to assist tillage farmers for the construction of nutrient storage facilities, storage facilities for other farmyard manures, soiled water, and related facilities, as well as farm-safety investments he said. The Farm Safety items include the provision of sliding/roller doors. Tillage farmers will also be able to avail of grant-aid under the Low Emission Slurry Spreading Scheme. . Minister Coveney said that the remaining TAMS 11 schemes will be launched over the next few months and include:

•Dairy Equipment Scheme

•Low-Emission Slurry Spreading Equipment Scheme

•Organic Capital Investment Scheme

•Organic Farming Scheme

•Pig and Poultry Investment Scheme

•Animal Welfare, Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme.