The Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) will open for animal welfare applications today (Thursday, March 23), the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has announced.
This is the second opening in the scheme, after it first opened for solar a few weeks ago on February 22.
Minister McConalogue also confirmed that TAMS 3 will open for pigs, poultry and organics within the next 10 days.
The minister made the announcements at the Agricultural Consultants’ Association (ACA) annual general meeting (AGM) in Portlaoise this afternoon, where he commended the advisors and consultants present for the role they play in the success of government schemes.
“Your importance to the overall agriculture eco-system is summed up through the sheer volume of applications you manage for farmers.
“Four in every five completed TAMS applications came through the pen and pencil of the ACA.
“You [also] cater for 76% of all nutrient management plans and nitrates derogation applications, and some 52% of all department knowledge transfer groups were facilitated by your members,” he said.
Minister McConalogue said that the ACA and its members will be at the centre of all 21 new schemes that will be rolled out under the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023-2027.
“For your clients, for your communities and for your sector, you are truly the lynchpin holding the industry together and I truly thank you for everything you do,” he added.
Knowledge Transfer Programme
Minister McConalogue also confirmed that a new Knowledge Transfer (KT) Programme will commence on January 1, 2024.
He outlined that the process of developing this programme will begin in June of this year with expressions of interest for advisors that would like to act as facilitators.
According to the minister, the KT group will not be limited to the type of enterprise farmers in each group as it was in the last KT programme.
“Rather, the groups will be allowed flexibility to be formed in line with local needs.
“We are in discussions on the payment model for the new KT Programme and the department will update ACA members as soon as discussions have concluded,” he finished.