The Department of Agriculture reports that 4,524 applications have been submitted for consideration under tranche 19 of the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme II (TAMS II).

This includes 3,224 new applications and another high carryover of 1,300 applications from tranche 18.

A similar level of applications has been carried over in recent tranches and it is likely that there will again be a similar carryover into tranche 20.

Tranche 20 of TAMS II opened for applications on 14 November following a two-week extension to tranche 19.

It was due to close at the end of the year, but another extension was recently announced until mid-January, with the exact closing date not yet confirmed.

LESS applications

Farmers operating under a nitrates derogation should be mindful that grant aid can only be drawn down for aspects which have become mandatory under a scheme or programme for a period of one year.

The ruling that derogation farmers must apply all slurry produced on their holding with low emission slurry spreading (LESS) technologies came into effect on 15 April 2019, meaning that applications for grant aid for LESS equipment is only allowable up to 15 April 2020.

This should be borne in mind by farmers thinking of investing in equipment.

New rules for farmers operating above the standard nitrogen cut-off limit of 170kg organic nitrogen per hectare but remaining outside of derogation by means of exporting slurry were also signed into law in the last week.

It will require some 5,000 farmers farming in such a scenario to apply all slurry with LESS equipment from 15 April 2021, meaning these farmers can only avail of grant aid for LESS equipment until 15 April 2022.

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