The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has highlighted details of grant aid available for tillage farmers and young farmers under the Tillage Capital Investment Scheme (TCIS) for TAMS 3.
In its latest TAMS 3 webinar DAFM outlined further details of the Tillage Capital Investment Scheme (TCIS), which opened on May 23 including how to apply, eligibility details and new investments.
The scheme is open to farmers who have a minimum of 15ha of owned, leased or rented lands.
The lands must be declared under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), or the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS), or equivalent in the year of application or preceding year.
DAFM detailed in the webinar that new investments include:
- Mulcher;
- Interrow cultivators;
- Weather stations;
- Beet cleaners;
- Weighbridge and weigh-pads;
- Pneumatic seed broadcaster with seed distribution pipes to mount on cultivator;
- Soil aerators.
The department also outlined that the specification for a mulcher means it must have flails, rather than blades.
How to apply for TAMS 3
Both TCIS and Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme (YFCIS) TAMS 3 applications can be made via the ‘ag food’ website.
Applicants can apply directly or with the help of an agent.
DAFM has stressed that once the form has been submitted, it can not be changed although it will be possible to request some changes to sub investments after submission.
One other element to be aware of is that if farmers have had a DAFM partnership that is dissolved they must contact the department partnership registration section in Dublin.
Full planning permission must be granted at the time of submission.
Any TAMS 3 applicant will also have to submit drawings stamped by the local authority, conditions and decisions.
When submitting maps, they must be A3 size or smaller and documents must be less than 10 megabytes.
The department has also recommended that it is a good practice for applicants to print out the terms and conditions before applying, so mistakes can be avoided.
YFCIS
The YFCIS opened on May, 31. Young farmers can continue to benefit from higher support rates of 60% grant support in TAMS 3.
In the case of a young farmer farming with others, a declaration is required that the farmer “exercises effective and long term control over the partnership or legal person in terms of decisions related to management, benefits and financial risks”.
Applicants for this scheme must also have completed one of the courses listed in Annex J of the scheme terms and conditions.
Young farmers can also complete an equivalent course instead on or before the date of submitting the application, or within 36 months from the date of issue.
If the deadline for educational requirements is not met, grant aid will then be paid at the standard rate of 40%.