A popular option under TAMS I and II for those looking to spend more modest amounts of money was investment in feed silos/meal bins.

Previous iterations of the specifications for meal bins had two different reference costs; one for meal bins on existing concrete bases and one for meal bins on new concrete bases.

Now, we have seen the separation of solid and split meal bins in TAMS III regarding reference costs, while no allowance is given for installation of new concrete bases.

Department specifications

As per the Department of Agriculture’s spec, meal bins/grain silos must be installed on a 250mm thick concrete base, measuring at least 3m x 3m.

Concrete cannot be produced on site and should only be purchased from an EN 206 certified manufacturer.

To order the correct type of concrete for underneath a meal bin, a farmer should request Mix B or 37N concrete and ensure it is certified as per concrete specifications S.101.

A well-known requirement of TAMS II meal bins was the requirement for bins to be painted. This rule has been carried forward into TAMS III; the likely reasoning for this is to reduce the visual impact of feed silos.

Nearly all feed silos are galvanised for longevity, although this can be a reflector of sunlight and cause glare, especially in the first few years of its life.

Most manufacturers will use powder coating of a pre-galvanised feed silo to comply with the TAMS requirements, with a range of colours available. It is best to choose the predominant sheeting colour (grey, green) of the farm buildings around the feed silo to allow it to blend in to the farmyard.

Planning permission

Due to meal bins being a fixed asset, planning permission is required for their installation, although many county councils will issue a letter of exemption in lieu of full planning.

At the time of application, planning permission or a letter of exemption will not be sought by the Department. However, if the Department chooses to seek proof of planning/ letter of exemption, the application will not be processed further and no monies paid until proof of planning/ letter of exemption is provided by the farmer.

As with all fixed items requiring planning, full planning permission/letter of exemption must be dated before or on the date of application of the grant.

In cases where meal bins are constructed in existing buildings, then the bins are not required to be painted. However, the building in which it is installed must be in compliance with planning permission regulations (ie have full planning approval or relevant letter of exemption).

Costings

In a similar way to slurry storage, costings of meal bins are not linear with size, with smaller bins generally being more expensive per m3/tonne than larger units.

Therefore, the Department has created a calculation for reference costs of meal bins: Y=108X + 3465, where Y is the cost of the meal bin and X is the metre cubed capacity of the bin.

For example, an eight-tonne (12.7m3) meal bin reference cost can be calculated as 12.7 multiplied by 108, plus 3465 or (12.7 x 108) + 3465, which creates a reference cost of €4,836.60 for the eight-tonne meal bin.

Meal bins must be painted to comply with TAMS rules, such as the one pictured above in grey.

For split bins, the equation is Y=107X + 3780. For a 16t (25.4m3) split meal bin, the reference cost can be calculated as follows: (25.4 x 107) + 3780 = €6,497.80 of a reference cost.

Applicants should note that grant aid will be paid out on whichever is the lower amount, either the reference cost or the actual cost. If a farmer purchases the eight-tonne meal bin above for €4,500, they will be paid a grant rate of 40% or 60% of this figure and not the reference cost.

The submission of costs should be exclusive of VAT as grant aid will not be paid out on the VAT amount.

Sourcing a meal bin

The list of manufacturers of meal bins in Table 1 details all the companies that are accepted as producing meal bins/grain silos for grant-aid. If a manufacturer is not included on this list, then initial approval for grant aid shall not be given unless the applicant arranges for the Departmental acceptance of the chosen system. If a meal bin/grain silo manufacturing company which is not on this list wishes to be included, it should send detailed specifications of their units to: Engineering Unit, Nitrates, Biodiversity and Engineering Division, Pavilion A, Grattan Business Centre, Dublin Road, Portlaoise, Co Laois.