The number of applications approved under tranche 1 of the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) was just below 3,500 as of last Friday (January 26).

According to figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) 3,488 applications have now been approved, out of 8,203 applications.

Of the total number of applications, 434 have been rejected and 202 have been withdrawn, leaving 4,079 that are classified as in progress.

In-progress applications will be ultimately either approved, or rejected (if not withdrawn) over time, with the bulk of them likely to be approved.

The Farm Safety Capital Investment Scheme (FSCIS) has seen the most approvals to date, with 1,072 out of 2,050 applications (with 240 rejected and 53 withdrawn).

However, this scheme did not receive the most applications. That was the Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage Scheme (AWNSS), which generated 2,494 applications.

Of these, 618 have been approved, with 94 rejected, 69 withdrawn, and 1,713 in progress.

The third-highest number of approvals as of the latest update is 493 for the Organic Capital Investment Scheme (OCIS), out of 928 applications.

The scheme with the lowest number of approved applications is the Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (WFCIS), with only 10 approvals so far, out of 259 applications. This figures is unchanged from the department update the previous week.

The full list of schemes with the most recent numbers of approvals is outlined below:

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.

The deadline for tranche 2 of TAMS 3, which had been extended, closed for applications on January 19.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has stated that tranche 3 of the scheme will close for applications on Friday, April 12.