The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) is calling on Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to announce the opening date for the new Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS).

Its poultry chair Nigel Sweetnam has stated that options will be needed in the scheme to facilitate poultry farmers investing in biosecurity measures amid Europe’s worst ever highly pathogenic bird flu epidemic.

"It's crucial that the Minister includes biosecurity measures, which are vitally important in helping to protect the sector, as we work to manage the challenge of avian influenza," Sweetnam said.

“Poultry farmers and the industry have excelled in containing avian influenza, but the risk has far from gone away.”

Culls

Two separate turkey flocks went down with the disease before Christmas, requiring flock culls.

"We need clarity, as we plan for the future, to manage the risk, as we continue to struggle with high input costs and continue to mitigate the risk of disease. Biosecurity has never been so important,” the IFA chair commented.

"The IFA poultry committee is also looking for aid to adapt renewable technology to combat the soaring energy costs, with carbon tax now accounting for 2% of farmers’ costs.”

Sweetnam has previously sought the allowance of reverse metering arrangements with TAMS solar panels, whereby farmers could export surplus energy to the grid during periods of low farm demand and import the equivalent when the energy is needed.