Farmers in Co. Cork submitted more applications for the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) than any other part of the country, according to latest figures released by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
In total, farmers in Co. Cork submitted a total of 1,171 applications.
The most popular scheme for Cork farmers, according to DAFM’s figures, was the Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage Scheme (AWNSS) which attracted 417 applications.
The latest breakdown of applications show that a total of 8,203 applications have been submitted for the 10 schemes available under TAMS 3.
These include:
- Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage Scheme (AWNSS);
- Dairy Equipment Scheme (DES);
- Farm Safety Capital Investment Scheme (FSCIS);
- Low Emission Slurry Spreading Scheme (LESS);
- Organic Capital Investment Scheme (OCIS);
- Pig and Poultry Investment Scheme (PPIS);
- Solar Capital Investment Scheme (SCIS);
- Tillage Capital Investment Scheme (TCIS);
- Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (WFCIS);
- Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (YFCIS).
Throughout the country, the AWNSS has emerged as one of the most popular schemes for farmers, with the total number of applications hitting 2,494.
This scheme provides grants to farmers to build or to improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holding and for silage pits and slurry stores.
The next most popular was the Farm Safety Capital Investment Scheme (FSCIS), which received a total of 2,050 applicants – with the largest number, 270, also coming from Co. Cork.
The least popular TAMS 3 scheme, according to the latest DAFM figures was the Marine Pig and Poultry Investment Scheme (PPIS) which attracted just 49 applications from throughout the country, with farmers from Co. Monaghan accounting for almost half of the interest for the scheme.
According to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, TAMS 3 “has proved very popular, with an unprecedented level of applications received – almost four times the average number received per tranche under TAMS 2”.
TAMS 3
In response to a parliamentary question tabled by the Fine Gael TD for Mayo, Michael Ring, on TAMS 3 applications, Minister McConalogue said that applications received across all of the measures in Tranche 1 “are currently being processed”.
“Once the initial processing is completed all applications will be subject to a ranking and selection process, which is a regulatory requirement for all TAMS 3 applications,” he added.
According to the minister, priority applications are currently being processed in relation to farmers who require the construction of slurry and manure storage facilities, or urgent animal welfare related investments for winter 2023/2024.
“It is expected that approvals will commence issuing to other schemes, starting with the Solar Investment Scheme, in the next few weeks,” he added.
The breakdown of applications received by DAFM for TAMS 3 per county and per scheme was:
