With new rules for slurry and soiled water storage set to kick in from October 1, 2028, farmers should be making the most of the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) this summer.

With first cut silage picked in a lot of areas and breeding starting to slow down, it is time to take advantage of the quieter months and get on top of slurry storage.

As it stands, farmers need slurry storage space of 0.33m³/cow/week, as well as 0.21m³/cow/week for soiled water.

That means a farm with 100-cow herd in an area which requires 20-weeks storage currently needs 660,000L or 145,180gal of slurry storage.

However, from 2028, dairy farms will need 0.4m³/cow/week of slurry storage, meaning the same farm will then require 800,000L or 175,975gal of storage, a 140,000L increase.

Soiled water storage is also increasing to 0.3m³/cow/week, meaning 100 dairy cows being milked in 'critical times' will need an additional 36m³ for the month that spreading soiled water is restricted.

TAMS

With poor milk prices this year, cash flow is tight and the last thing farmers want to be doing is spending, but if you have insufficient storage it is going to need upgrading at some stage either way.

Waiting on milk prices to increase before commencing work can be a dangerous game, as by then costs could have rocketed again, especially considering how ready-mix has nearly doubled in price since 2020.

As well as that, if you are looking for TAMS grant aid, between planning, designing, and approval, it can take several months to get across the line, which will bring us well into 2027 before ground is actually broken.

TAMS 3 tranche 12 is set to close Friday coming (June 19) - however, tranche 13 will open on Saturday (June 20) in which farmers can apply for nutrient storage aid, before closing again in September.

Ranking and selection will be in place to  to manage the number of approvals, applied at a 75% selection rate on the Animal Welfare Nutrient Storage Scheme (AWNSS).

Therefore farmers need to be precise with their applications, seeking assistance from local agricultural advisors around current and future regulations as well as eligibility and designing.

Farmers will also need to go through the building specifications with an engineer and planner to make sure the build meets TAMS 3 specifications.

Planning permission is next, as investments under the Nutrient Storage Investment Scheme require it, unless exempt by the council, and planning can take up to three months to get over the line alone.

Once planning permission is received, farmers can submit their application through the TAMS 3 portal, ensuring that all documents are included.

These fixed investments should not begin until full approval is secured, which may take up to five months from the closing of the tranche.

If everything is up to spec, farmers can get up to €90,000 in grant aid towards their tank and slats.

Reference costs

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) published updated reference costs for TAMS in September 2025.

Within the costings, there is a tool which can be used to calculate reference costs for silage effluent tanks; square or rectangular tanks; L-shaped tanks; T-shaped tanks; U-shaped tanks; H-shaped tanks; double H-shaped tanks; plus-sign-shaped tanks; and doughnut-shaped tanks.

Simply input the dimensions of the tanks, and specify any additional information such as spine walls, and you will get the total reference cost.

Pre-cast concrete tanks follow the equation y = 0.2439x + 4445, where x = volume of the tank in litres and y = the cost of the tank.

For example, if the proposed tank is of mass concrete and 20,000L capacity, a farmer must add that to the equation.

(0.2439(20,000) + 4445) = €9,323

This €9,323 includes the cost of the cover over the tank.

Circular slurry tanks follow the same system. However, they use the equation y = 32.69x + 29073 (where x is m³) for volume and y = 109.16x + 13281 (where x is m²) for store cover.