Tomorrow (Friday, April 16) is the closing date for applications for funding under tranche 21 of the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS).
Tranche 21 was the first tranche as part of the ‘rolled-over’ TAMS under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) transition period, bridging the gap between the last CAP, which ended in 2020, and the next, which is set to commence in 2023.
This was also the first tranche to include additional measures that were announced in January.
These measures included:
- Investments for calf welfare measures, whereby investments previously available under the Calf Investment Scheme are now included in TAMS;
- Funding for GPS spreaders is now available for all categories of applicants (previously these were only available to applicants in the tillage sector);
- In line with the rules for derogation farmers introduced last year, this cohort of farmers is no longer eligible to apply for support for low-emission slurry spreader (LESS) equipment.
Also in January, Minister McConalogue announced some date flexibilities for TAMS payment claim submissions and project completion, in response to Covid-19 issues. However, these flexibilities have now expired, having been offered only until April 1.
Funding for the rolled-over TAMS was secured for this year in Budget 2021. It is expected that funding for 2022 will be confirmed in the budget later this year.