Teagasc is reporting a ‘steady stream’ of enquiries about new farm buildings grants under the TAMS II schemes.
According to Tim Hyde, an Environmental Specialist with Teagasc, more and more planning permission notices for farm buildings are starting to crop up in local newspapers which, he says, is a good benchmark for the popularity of the scheme.
“There was a big push for new planning permission applications before the Christmas. The deadline for the next tranche off TAMS is March 25, for many the deadline will be quite tight in terms od getting the actual TAMS application completed in time.
“We’re seeing a steady stream of enquiries for the farm building grants.
“The most popular investments at the moment are in animal housing and non-dairy equipment items. Investments such as parlours and bulk milk tanks were really popular in the first tranche. It was all very much dairy in the first tranche but that is starting to change now.”
According to Hyde, his experience to date has been that 60% of applications have been dairy and 40% from drystock farmers.
“There is no doubt the larger investments have been on the dairy side too,” he said.
Slurry equipment
One really good news story, according to Hyde, has been the interest in slurry equipment grants.
“We are getting lots of enquiries from both farmers and contractors,” he said.
Hyde said much of the interest ties in with the new GLAS scheme. Under the scheme many farmers have now opted to spread there slurry using a trailing shoe.
Under TAMS II farmers can avail of 40% (60% young farmers) grant aid for the equipment.
Hyde said the switch to low emission slurry spreading is positive from both and environmental and grass utilisation perspective.
“The percentage of slurry spread using low emission methods could go from 2-5% to 8-10% this year,” he said.