Tillage farmers have just three weeks left to apply to the first tranche of the Tillage Capital Investment Scheme under TAMS II.

The TAMS II scheme for tillage farmers was launched by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, on March 8, 2017; it is set to run until December 31, 2020.

Any tillage farmers interested in the scheme have until June 30 to get their applications submitted to the first tranche.

Under the scheme, grants will be available at a rate of 40% up to an applicable maximum investment ceiling of €80,000 per holding.

Also Read: TAMS II opens to tillage farmers: Am I eligible and what’s available?

In the case of an application by two or more eligible partners, who are in a registered partnership, the maximum eligible investment ceiling will be increased to €160,000.

The minimum amount of investment which is eligible for approval under the scheme is €2,000 per application; multiple applications per tranche are permitted.

Grant aid is available for a range of items, including: grain stores; GPS machinery controls; sprayers; and grain treatment equipment.

With a total budget of €26 million, the scheme will be funded by the European Union and the national exchequer.

Grant aid for electric tractors

Meanwhile, Minister Creed recently revealed that there are no plans on the horizon to introduce grant aid for electric tractors under any TAMS II scheme.

He was responding to a parliamentary question from Fine Gael TD Noel Rock; Deputy Rock asked the minister to clarify his plans to introduce a grant scheme for farmers to purchase electric tractors and other agricultural machinery.

“There are no plans to introduce grant aid for electric tractors under the TAMS II suite of investment measures.

It should be noted that no tractors are currently grant aided under the TAMS schemes.

“Grant aid for certain agricultural machinery such as sprayers, grain mills and grain elevators is available under the TAMS II suite of measures at present,” Minister Creed said.