Farmers purchasing low-emission slurry spreading equipment (LESSE) face a minimum waiting period of six months before taking delivery of equipment, sources in the trade indicate.

Manufacturers of slurry spreading equipment, along with dealerships across NI, have been overwhelmed with farmers enquiring after new tankers fitted with dribble bars and trailing shoes.

With successful applicants under the Tier 1 Farm Business Improvement Scheme (FBIS) unable to officially place an order for a new tanker until a letter of offer has been issued, based on current trends, equipment is unlikely to be delivered before the summer.

Several dealers indicate that a more realistic time frame for orders placed in early 2021 is into the autumn..

Wider demand

However, demand for new slurry spreading equipment is not confined to farmers operating in NI.

Manufacturers and dealers also report a surge in interest coming from farmers across Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

According to one local dealer demand for slurry equipment is outstripping supply. He also pointed out that machinery companies have other orders to fulfil, such as livestock feeding equipment and trailers.

“The FBIS will see another spike in orders for new LESSE products early in the new year, but this will only extend waiting lists as order books are full at present. On top of this, supply chains have slowed down due to COVID-19, so getting materials used to manufacture new tankers is not straight-orward” he said.

Offer

Where a successful applicant receives a letter of offer for a Tier 1 grant, they have 28 days to accept, and four months from the date on the letter to make a purchase and submit a claim for grant. Given the pressure on supply chains at present, that four-month time frame may need to be extended by DAERA.

Read more

Separate emission target for methane proposed in NI

Huge demand for Tier 1 grant