There will always be a significant requirement to modernise facilities on a tillage farm, machinery included. But such a commitment can come with a significant cost associated with it.
As a consequence, Teagasc is currently encouraging growers to look at the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) scheme as a means of facilitating investment on their farms.
During a recent ‘Tillage Edge’ podcast, Teagasc’s Michael Hennessy and Oliver Molloy, from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), discussed the ways by which TAMS can impact on Irish tillage farms.
According to Molloy, the TAMS scheme was introduced in March 2017.
He stated: “This followed two very challenging harvests, at which stage, the then minister for agriculture felt that something should be done to support the tillage sector.
“The measure is primarily available to support the introduction of new technology, such as min-till and GPS, on tillage farms.”
TAMS for tillage machinery
Molloy went on to confirm that tillage TAMS comprises two main categories: investments to improve farm safety; and a commitment on the part of applicants to reduce input costs.
He explained: “GPS fertiliser spreaders and sprayers can be used to reduce the amounts of fertiliser and chemicals applied to a crop.
“They achieve this by cutting out the amount of overlapping that can take place when these inputs are applied using standard machinery items.
“Cambridge, or ring, rollers have also helped to reduce the amount of pesticides used in seed dressings,” he added.
“TAMS also allows growers to invest in grain treatment equipment and stores. This would then allow them to sell their grain at a time that best suited them.”
Molloy also confirmed that tillage applicants have two avenues of approach when it comes to making use of TAMS.
He said: “The first is the tillage capital investment scheme. This relates to the vast majority of applicants.
“However, young farmers who have been set up for less than five years can apply through the young farmers’ capital investment scheme.”
To date the tillage scheme has received just under 4,000 applications, of which less than 2,000 have been paid out on.
“The average grant that has been paid to date is just over €10,000 with a total payment of over €19 million made out by the government,2 Molloy added.
“This contrasts with the €31.5 million paid out under the low emission slurry spreading [LESS] scheme up to this point.
“But with the upturn in the financial performance of the tillage sector this year, growers will be much better placed to invest in the future of their businesses during the period ahead,” he concluded.