The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s budget for 2019 was announced at €1.6 billion in addition to approximately €1.2 billion in direct EU payments administered by the department.

FDC Agri Consultants are committed to supporting Irish farmers meet the challenges they face in an ever-evolving sector.

FDC facilitate clients in maximising payments under various schemes included as new or enhanced measures in Budget 2019.

TAMS Scheme

Budget 2019 allocated €70 million for TAMS (Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme).

Advice can be obtained on all the schemes available under the umbrella of TAMS:
  • Dairy Equipment Scheme (DES);
  • Animal Welfare, Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme (AWNSS);
  • Low Emission Slurry Spreading Equipment Scheme (LESS);
  • Tillage Capital Investment Scheme (TCIS);
  • Pig & Poultry Investment Scheme (PPIS);
  • Organic Capital Investment Scheme (OCIS);
  • Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (YFCIS).

If you are considering improving your farm facilities’ support development of farm safety and infrastructure, applications under TAMS II are open until 2020. Priority is given to young trained farmers and those farming in disadvantaged areas.

Subject to the maximum expenditure ceilings, grant aid of 40% is available under these schemes, with the exception of the YFCIS where the grant aid rate rises to 60%.

Successful application under TAMS requires compliance with various planning and financial criteria. FDC Agri Consultants can guide you through this process to completion.

BEEP scheme

The Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot (BEEP) Scheme includes a €20 million fund, which will introduce a €40/head payment for a maximum of 500,000 suckler cows.

This new pilot scheme is targeted at suckler farmers to further improve the economic and carbon efficiency of Irish beef production.

The scheme is an enhancement of the existing Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) and will entail collating weight data on both cows and calves.

FDC awaits details of how this scheme will roll out to individual farms, as numbers participating are expected to exceed the 25,000 currently enrolled under the BDGP.

FDC Agri Consultants are trained Carbon Navigator advisors and the team is approved to compile and submit appraisals under the Beef Genomics Scheme and other schemes where a Carbon Navigator is required.

ANC Scheme

An additional €23 million is made available in Budget 2019 for farmers in Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC). The allocation for 2019 increased to €250 million, representing a 24% increase over the last two years and restores ANC payments to pre-recession levels.

Payments worth over €185.6 million under the 2018 ANC scheme are now due to issue to almost 77,000 farmers.

These payments are a timely financial support for farmers confronted with adverse weather and market factors over the last 12 months.

As numbers of current claimants increased from 75,000 in 2017, both ANC and BPS now require online applications. It is intended that this will facilitate maximising payments to farmers at the earliest possible date.

BPS application

FDC Agri Consultants are Department of Agriculture approved Farm Advisory Service agents for the online completion and submission of the annual BPS application. FDC also advises on compliance with Greening requirements for tillage farms.

FDC manages the completion and submission of entitlement transactions for leases, sales and gifts. In addition, the team manages applications for ANC, National Reserve and Young Farmer Scheme.

GLAS scheme

FDC has completed and submitted applications for clients in GLAS 1; GLAS 2; and GLAS 3 and has also overseen the preparation of the associated Nutrient Management Plans as required.

FDC provides a comprehensive Nitrates Derogation service to clients, whereby the annual records and derogation application are prepared and submitted, as well as the periodical Nutrient Management Plan and soil sampling.

Facilitating numerous partnerships

Supports of farm partnership are maintained in Budget 2019. FDC has facilitated numerous partnerships comprising several types of partners such as existing farmers, young trained farmers and limited companies.

These can be established in order to involve the next generation in the farm business, improve the work-life balance as well as qualifying for improved TAMS grant aid.

FDC Group provides a full service offering under one roof or can partner with external service providers.

The team specialises in providing a comprehensive range of agricultural consultancy services to farming clients on business and technical solutions.

FDC’s experienced and diverse team operates throughout an office network delivering front-line solutions to the ever-increasing client base in all farming sectors. To find out more about FDC Group, click here

FDC GROUP