While the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has confirmed that underground mass concrete tanks will not be eligible for grant aid under the Nutrient Importation Storage Scheme (NISS), they may become eligible under a separate measure.
The NISS, which was rolled out to farmers under the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme III (TAMS 3) on Wednesday, August 21, will provide a 70% grant rate for additional storage facilities for managing the importation of organic fertilisers.
Many farmers had hoped the incentive would be open to underground mass concrete tanks, but DAFM has affirmed that investment items will be limited to circular slurry stores, geo-membrane lined stores and manure pits.
According to DAFM, this is “to ensure the facility will continue to be available for slurry importation”.
The scheme will have its own dedicated investment ceiling of €90,000 per holding solely for nutrient importation storage.
For partnership applications, an investment ceiling of €160,000 per holding will apply.
Grants for underground slurry tanks
Currently, farmers meeting the necessary criteria can apply for 40% grant aid under TAMS 3 and 60% in the case of young farmers.
The maximum investment ceiling for funding under TAMS 3 is €90,000/holding.
The TAMS budget is divided into tranches. Tranche four will close for applications on Friday, September 6, 2024 and Tranche five will close on Friday, December 6, 2024.
While underground mass concrete slurry stores are not eligible for the 70% grant aid under NISS, details have yet to emerge on a separate grant-aid measure which the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalouge has sought permission from the European Commission on.
Last week (Tuesday, August 20), Minister McConalogue published the department’s official plan to progress the objective of retaining Ireland’s Nitrates Derogation post-2025.
In this, the minister detailed that provision will be made for a new and separate ‘exempt development’ threshold for ‘independent’ nutrient storage as part of a review of planning regulations, following the enactment of the Planning Bill.
It was also outlined that permission has been sought from the Commission to implement a 60% grant and a separate ceiling of €90,000 for farmers for nutrient storage from January 2025.
Details remain sparse on this and farm lobby groups have requested to meet DAFM for information on what the terms and conditions of this measure may look like for farmers.
Updates and developments on this separate grant aid for slurry storage will be published on Agriland as they unfold.