Young farmers can now apply for 60% farm buildings grants

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

The system can be accessed directly through the Department’s website by farmers who are registered for online services via the Department’s Agfood facility.

Alternatively, the Department says farmers may opt to use an approved agricultural advisor to prepare applications on their behalf.

Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney is encouraging as many Young Farmers as possible to avail of the extensive list of investment opportunities that are available under this new scheme. See also:A full list of everything eligible for new young farmer grants See also: Do you qualify for the new young farmer grants?

The new online system is accompanied by detailed information on the Department website, including answers to a series of Frequently Asked Questions, which are there to encourage and assist farmers with their applications, http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/farmerschemespayments/farmbuildings/

A dedicated email address has also been set up to deal with other queries, including those of a more technical nature – these can be sent to [email protected].

While the system is now live and available for the preparation of applications, the facility to submit applications will not be activated until Wednesday 17th June.

The Department says 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 in the first few days that the system is live.

Minister Coveney has stressed that it would be this date, 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 tranche of applications is Friday September 18.

“This is just the first tranche of applications, however,” the Minister said.

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, and storage facilities for other farmyard manures, soiled water, and related facilities, as well as farm-safety investments.

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. This Scheme provides grant aid for the purchase of new equipment for the spreading of slurry which has distinct environmental advantages.

Further announcements will follow shortly on the other TAMS Schemes. A total of €395m has been made available for TAMS 2 over the course of the RDP period. The remaining schemes are being launched over the next few months and include:-