Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) II was launched in May 2015 and will run to 31 December 2020. The scheme aims to facilitate farm modernisation, improve the working and production conditions on farms and improve agricultural incomes through improved competitiveness.
Nigel O'Kane constructed a suckler shed after availing of a TAMS grant.
TAMS has an allocation of €395m over the course of the six-year period. In 2018, there is a budget of €70m. To be eligible to apply for a grant under the scheme, there are two requirements – have a minimum of 5ha declared on the Basic Payment Scheme or an intensive enterprise which generates a minimum of 20 production units from farming and have a herd identifier.
There is a maximum investment ceiling of €80,000 per holding, with an exception under Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS), as this is independent of other schemes with maximum grant aid of €40,000 (€60,000 for partnerships).
The minimum investment per application is €2,000; the rate of the grant is 40%. If the farm is in a registered farm partnership the ceiling is raised to €160,000. If the applicant is a qualified young farmer and less than 40 years of age, the available grant aid is increased to 60%.
Care needs to be taken when planning a farm investment. The applications are divided into different tranches, which usually last three months.
The current tranche opened on 9 June 2018 and closes on 7 September 2018. Applications are made online at www.agfood.ie.
If the structure requires planning permission, the application will not be accepted unless full planning permission has been granted.
There are a number of other requirements necessary when submitting your application:
Farmyard layout plan (scale 1:500). This must show the location of any fixed investment applied for.Farm buildings plans (scale 1:100 or 1:200).Full planning permission including the conditions.DAFM mass concrete tanks costs.Young farmers declaration (where applicable).Companies Registration Office Certification and the Articles of Association (where applicable).Once approved, a start can be made. From the approval date you have only 12 months to complete the structures and only six months to purchase mobile equipment. There is a penalty for every day the claim is late.
To submit the claim application form, you need to have completed a farm safety course, submit receipts, tax clearance certificates for applicants and contractors, quality receipts, evidence of ownership or lease of the title of the site and a farm safety code of practise certificate.
Rain water harvesting. / Donal O'Leary
Rainwater harvesting equipment
Rainwater harvesting involves collecting rainwater from agricultural buildings, filtering the water before it is collected in a tank for storage and distributed to the cattle to drink.
For this to work, all gutters must be clean and well maintained, with all downpipes in good condition, all debris must be removed through filtration and the storage tank must have a covered inlet and outlet.
Planning permission is not required if the tank is underground and is less than 10m in length, 5m in width and 4m in height. If the tank is over ground, it must not exceed 5m in length, 5m in width and 4m in height.
If the tanks are greater than these dimensions, planning permission is required. The tank size needed is determined by capacity to hold between seven and 18 days of rainfall. This is calculated depending on your location and the average rainfall in that area. The tank must have an overflow outlet in the event of a storm and needs to have a barrier constructed around all over-ground tanks.
Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) II was launched in May 2015 and will run to 31 December 2020. The scheme aims to facilitate farm modernisation, improve the working and production conditions on farms and improve agricultural incomes through improved competitiveness.
Nigel O'Kane constructed a suckler shed after availing of a TAMS grant.
TAMS has an allocation of €395m over the course of the six-year period. In 2018, there is a budget of €70m. To be eligible to apply for a grant under the scheme, there are two requirements – have a minimum of 5ha declared on the Basic Payment Scheme or an intensive enterprise which generates a minimum of 20 production units from farming and have a herd identifier.
There is a maximum investment ceiling of €80,000 per holding, with an exception under Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS), as this is independent of other schemes with maximum grant aid of €40,000 (€60,000 for partnerships).
The minimum investment per application is €2,000; the rate of the grant is 40%. If the farm is in a registered farm partnership the ceiling is raised to €160,000. If the applicant is a qualified young farmer and less than 40 years of age, the available grant aid is increased to 60%.
Care needs to be taken when planning a farm investment. The applications are divided into different tranches, which usually last three months.
The current tranche opened on 9 June 2018 and closes on 7 September 2018. Applications are made online at www.agfood.ie.
If the structure requires planning permission, the application will not be accepted unless full planning permission has been granted.
There are a number of other requirements necessary when submitting your application:
Farmyard layout plan (scale 1:500). This must show the location of any fixed investment applied for.Farm buildings plans (scale 1:100 or 1:200).Full planning permission including the conditions.DAFM mass concrete tanks costs.Young farmers declaration (where applicable).Companies Registration Office Certification and the Articles of Association (where applicable).Once approved, a start can be made. From the approval date you have only 12 months to complete the structures and only six months to purchase mobile equipment. There is a penalty for every day the claim is late.
To submit the claim application form, you need to have completed a farm safety course, submit receipts, tax clearance certificates for applicants and contractors, quality receipts, evidence of ownership or lease of the title of the site and a farm safety code of practise certificate.
Rain water harvesting. / Donal O'Leary
Rainwater harvesting equipment
Rainwater harvesting involves collecting rainwater from agricultural buildings, filtering the water before it is collected in a tank for storage and distributed to the cattle to drink.
For this to work, all gutters must be clean and well maintained, with all downpipes in good condition, all debris must be removed through filtration and the storage tank must have a covered inlet and outlet.
Planning permission is not required if the tank is underground and is less than 10m in length, 5m in width and 4m in height. If the tank is over ground, it must not exceed 5m in length, 5m in width and 4m in height.
If the tanks are greater than these dimensions, planning permission is required. The tank size needed is determined by capacity to hold between seven and 18 days of rainfall. This is calculated depending on your location and the average rainfall in that area. The tank must have an overflow outlet in the event of a storm and needs to have a barrier constructed around all over-ground tanks.
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: