The Farm Safety Capital Investment Scheme (FSCIS) under the new Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes (TAMS 3) is now open, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has confirmed.
The scheme, which began accepting applications last Thursday (June 1), provides an incentive to farmers to avail of investments “to improve their own safety and that of their farm”.
Grant aid under the scheme will paid at the rate of 60%, up to a maximum of €90,000 per holding.
In the case of an application by two or more eligible partners, the maximum increases to €160,000.
Multiple applications per tranche are allowed, however the DAFM said that the minimum amount of investment which is eligible for approval under this scheme is €2,000 per application.
Farm safety scheme
The FSCIS is open to all farmers who have a minimum of 5ha under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) or equivalent either in the year the application is made or the preceding year.
The applicants should generate a minimum of 20 production units from farming.
In the case of equine investments only, applicants need to have a minimum of three equines declared on the Equine Census or equivalent in 2022.
Applicants who are approved for investment works at the maximum ceiling of €90,000 under this scheme are not eligible to apply for grants under any other TAMS scheme, with the exception of the Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) Equipment Scheme.
In the case of an application by two or more eligible partners, the maximum increases to €160,000.
There is a wide range of items available under the farm safety scheme including: fixed and mobile handling facilities for cattle, sheep, and horses; replacements for agitation points or older slats; safety cages for roofs; upgrades to electric wiring; yard lights; livestock monitors and fertility tags; wheel changing equipment, and silage bale slicer with plastic remover.
Announcing the opening of the new scheme, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine with special responsibility for farm safety Martin Heydon said: “I would urge all farmers to consider this opportunity for funding to invest in really practical investments to make their farms safer.
“The increase in grant aid for farm safety related investments to an enhanced higher rate of 60% makes it much more feasible for farmers to makes changes to their farm that protects them, their family, and visitors to the farm.
“This significant grant rate will make it much more attractive to upgrade the likes of animal handling facilities on farms.
“Incidents with animals account for the greatest number of non-fatal incidents occurring on farms and proper handling facilities such as cattle crushes, or calving pens can help prevent these incidents from occurring,” Minister Heydon said.
TAMS
The opening of the FSCIS means that there is now just one outstanding scheme under the new TAMS left to open before the proposed closure of tranche 1 on June 16, 2023 – the Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (WFCIS).
A spokesperson for DAFM told Agriland that “it is anticipated the Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme will open shortly”.
The scheme will allow women to access enhanced grant funding to make investments on their farm in order to benefit their business.
Data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) reported that just 13% of farm holders in Ireland in 2020 were female.
Last Wednesday (May 31), the department announced that the Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme (YFCIS) under TAMS 3 had opened for applications.
The scheme provides funding for capital investments on farms and will be in place for five years.
Young farmers will also continue to benefit from higher support rates of 60% grant support.
A young farmer in TAMS 3 means a person who is under 41 years of age at the time of submitting the application.