The Irish Farmers Journal can reveal that additions to the machinery element of the new Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) III includes dung spreaders, bale slices, slurry separators and aerators, while fears that dribble bars have been excluded are now confirmed.
The Department of Agriculture has said that despite not being included on the initial listing, dribble bars are being reviewed in light of current research and could potentially be added back in, in the near future.
Under the Low-Emissions Slurry Spreading Scheme (LESS), the dropping of dribble bars has seen the retro-fitting of trailing shoes added in for the first time.
Slurry and dung
Under the Low Emissions Slurry Spreading (LESS) Scheme, the dropping of dribble bars has seen the retro-fitting of trailing shoes added in for the first time.
Slurry tankers and umbilical systems continue to be grant aided, when fitted with a LESS system - now only being either a trailing shoe or a disc injection system.
Screw press slurry separators have been included for the first time.
Inlet choppers (fitted to new or retrofitted to used tankers) have been added, with a reference cost of €3,500, while the fitting of flow meters to new or existing tankers has also been added, with a reference cost of €3,251.
Fitting flow meters to umbilical systems will not be eligible for grant aid, which is a shame as this is where they are arguably most required with such a high flow rate of slurry.
Slurry separators have also been added. Screw press separators have been included, with reference costs quoted in m3 per hour throughput at y = 20.146x + 30875.
Rear discharge dung spreaders have also been included. However, the exact specification and technology required on such machines has yet to be announced. The reference costs on these machines will be calculated in m3 (y = 3202.7x + 6766).
Hydraulic motors to substitute PTO shafts are still covered, at a reference cost of €1,520.
Farm Safety Capital Investment Scheme
Under the Farm Safety Capital Investment Scheme (FSCIS) element of TAMS III, bale slices with plastic-removing attachments have been added for the first time, and have a reference cost of €3,535 per unit.
Under the Farm Safety Capital Investment Scheme (FSCIS) element of TAMS 3, bale slices with plastic removing attachments have been added for the first time
Wheel changing equipment also falls under FSCIS. This includes a wheel changing crate (€1,127.28) and a wheel pumping crate, either as manual pumping (€862.40/unit) or as a fully automatic unit with a reference cost of €11,051.04.
Animal Welfare Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme (AWNSS)
Under pasture management, aerators, mulchers, seed broadcasters and grass harrows have been included.
Reference costs for these are: mounted soil aerator €1,841.60/linear metre, trailed soil aerator €4,139/linear metre, mounted mulcher €2,893.85/ linear metre, seed broadcaster to mount on cultivator €4,259/unit, pneumatic seed broadcaster with seed distribution pipes to mount on cultivator €6,982/unit and a spring tine grass/straw harrow €1,263.93 linear metre.
Reference costs for the mounted soil aerator are €1,841.60/linear metre, while trailed soil aerators have a reference cost of €4,139/linear metre.
Fertiliser spreaders once again fall under the scheme, with mounted and trailed GPS-ready units qualifying. Biomass equipment now also fall under the AWNSS scheme, and includes a drying shed and wood/ biomass PTO driven chipper, with a reference cost of y = 41.846x + 31115, m3 per hour.
Aerators, mulchers, seed broadcasters and grass harrows have been included.
Tillage Capital Investment Scheme (TCIS)
The listing on cultivators and drills remains the same under the updated TCIS, while more options have been included under the Pesticide Reduction banner, such as mounted mulchers (€2,893.85/linear metre), inter row cultivators (€3,748.50/linear metre), inter-row laser guidance weeder hoe systems (€19,329.36/linear metre) and the option of a weather station (€1,500/unit).
Potato equipment has seen a huge jump in qualifying equipment, with potato planters for example having a reference cost of €25,000/row.
Under combine attachments, pea headers (€9,317/linear metre), harvest weed seed control attachments (€5,000/unit) and straw choppers for combines (€14,500/unit) have been included.
Potato equipment has seen a huge jump in qualifying equipment, with potato planters for example having a reference cost of €25,000/row.
Under crop handling, 1t bag fillers with weigh cells (loader attachment) have a reference cost of €5,780/unit, while beet cleaners are included (tonne per hour y = 2420.6x – 37608). Spring tine grass/straw harrows (€1,263.93/linear metre) and chain harrows (€339.27/linear metre) are available under the minimum disturbance tillage (PTO equipment not permitted).
Potato equipment has seen a considerable jump in qualifying equipment, particularly in terms of planting kit. Potato planters (€25,000/row), potato planter chemical applicators (€9,000/unit), specialised fertiliser applicators for potatoes (€15,000/unit), eco tillers (€14,500/unit), bed tillers (€11,166/unit) and destoners (€52,000/row) have all been included.
In terms of potato harvesting, haulm toppers have now also been added (y = 5197.5x + 2919/linear metre). Under potato handling, a box filler (€35,000/unit), a retail bag filler (up to 20kg bags) (€83,000/unit) and a box tipper (loader attachment) (€6,500/unit) have all been included.
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