High-level meetings between Department of Agriculture officials and machinery trade bosses are to take place this week over the controversial proposed move to only allow grant aid for trailing shoe slurry spreading equipment in the new TAMS.

As revealed in last week’s Irish Farmers Journal, it has been mooted that the cheaper and more widely-used dribble bar equipment could be excluded from the On-Farm Capital Investment Scheme.

The Department had indicated that it would only grant-aid the most environmentally effective equipment.

International research had shown that trailing shoe equipment dribble bars result in marginally less ammonia emissions than dribble bars (28% ammonia loss v 34% ammonia loss).

Irish research

However, the Irish Farmers Journal understands that more recent Irish research, as yet unpublished, suggests that dribble bars are performing just as well, and possibly even slightly better, at reducing emissions – when used properly – than trailing shoes.

Some commentators suggest that the Department could also be taking into account the cost savings of only grant-aiding trailing shoes.

Farmers, who are eligible for TAMS grants, are more likely to purchase and claim grants for the cheaper dribble bar. Trailing shoes, being larger and more expensive to purchase and run, are more often purchased by contractors who are not eligible for TAMS grants.