Over 1,700 applications made by farmers under the new Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes (TAMS 3) have been approved, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has confirmed.
Figures published by the department up to January 9, 2024, show that 8,203 applications were made by farmers under tranche 1 of TAMS 3.
Of that figure, 1,761 farmers have been issued approval letters under the ten separate measures contained in the new scheme.
323 applications were rejected by the department, while 166 applications were withdrawn.
Scheme Received Approved Applications rejected Applications withdrawn Animal Welfare Nutrient Storage Scheme 2,494 100 85 65 Dairy Equipment Scheme 235 10 3 3 Farm Safety Capital Investment Scheme (FSCIS) 2,050 618 156 26 Low Emissions Slurry Spreading (LESS) 551 335 2 11 Organic Capital Investment Scheme 928 315 22 19 Pig and Poultry Investment Scheme 49 24 – – Solar Capital Investment Scheme (SCIS) 751 105 7 14 Tillage Capital Investment Scheme (TCIS) 445 186 29 17 Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme 259 10 3 – Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme 441 68 9 8 TOTAL 8,203 1,761 323 166
The figures show that the highest number of applications were made under the Animal Welfare Nutrient Storage Scheme at almost 2,500.
This was followed by the Farm Safety Capital Investment Scheme which received 2,050 applications from farmers.
The Pig and Poultry Investment Scheme received the fewest number of applications at 49.
259 applications were made to DAFM under the Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme.
The Solar Capital Investment Scheme received 751 applications, with DAFM stating that 105 of those had been approved by January 9.
The delay in the processing of applications made under tranche 1 has been heavily criticised by farm organisations.
New administrative and information technology (IT) support systems being used by DAFM are part of the reason for the delay.
TAMS
Last month, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue confirmed that approval letters were issued to 252 eligible priority access cases under TAMS.
The minister provided a “priority access facility” to assist farmers that required the construction of slurry and manure storage facilities, or urgent animal welfare related investments for the winter of 2023/2024.
TAMS provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings.
There is an indicative budget of €370 million available for the period 2023-2027, and all investments must be linked to climate, environment or animal welfare.
In December, Minister McConalogue extended the deadline for tranche 2 of TAMS 3 until this Friday (January 19, 2024).
Tranche 3 of the scheme will close for applications on Friday, April 12, 2024.