There are a large number of government grants and schemes available to the agricultural sector, so many in fact, that Tom Shaw Farm Machinery Ltd. of Birr, Co Offaly will hold an event at which representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) will be on hand to explain the details of just two of them.
The two schemes covered are the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes (TAMS 3) and the less familiar Organic Farming Scheme (OFS) which provides financial support to farmers to encourage production of organic foods.
As a supplier of farm machinery, the company often gets asked about who and what is eligible for the grants and this open day sets out to answer many of those questions.
There will be two presentations given by representatives of DAFM, the first, at 3:30p.m, will cover TAMS 3 while the second, which will follow shortly after, looks at the OFS.
In addition to the two presentations, there will be a wide variety of machinery on display which is eligible for TAMS grants and/or is suitable for organic cultivation.
Representatives of the manufacturers will also be on hand to discuss farmers’ requirements.
Tom Shaw to support OFS
Although the TAMS scheme is well patronised, Ciaran Hughes of Tom Shaw Farm Machinery, feels that with the pressure being put on conventional farming, the move to organic may not be quite such a shock after all.
The grants for the first year of organic production vary between €300/ha and €360/ha with a minimum area requirement and the need for the applicant to attend an organic farming course.
The event will be held at Tom Shaw Farm Machinery’s base at Dromoyle, Co Offaly, next Tuesday October 24, commencing at 2:00p.m and running through to 7:00p.m.