An agricultural organization has urged selection of 100% of all eligible applications for nutrient storage measures under Tranche 11 of the Targeted Agricultural Modernization Scheme (TAMS 3).
The Irish Dairy Suppliers Association (ICMSA) welcomed the increase in TAMS rating and selection rates, but said it felt the improvements were “too little, too late”.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Haydon Recently confirmed This ranking and selection will apply to applications submitted under Tranche 11.
The minister said priority would be given to requests under farm safety and nutrient storage plans.
Similar to previous tranches, 100% of eligible applications under the Farm Safety Scheme will again be selected for Tranche 11.
The Minister also confirmed that 75% of all eligible applications for nutrient storage measures will be selected under this segment.
Clay storage
Slurry storage “should be 100% opt-in – not 75%,” said Pat O’Brien, chair of the ICMSA’s agribusiness committee.
“The most pressing issue that TAMS is set up to address is insufficient slurry storage, so just excluding 25% of applicants really puts a big question mark after the entire process,” O’Brien said.
ICMSA said while the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) had “belatedly moved to gain acceptance rates” for slurry storage, the question now was “whether there will be enough construction companies available to build these tanks”.
“The pressure is on to get the work done, especially with new storage requirements coming into effect under guidance from the EU Commission,” O’Brien said.
Nitrates registration
O’Brien said it was ICMSA’s position that the department should deregister nitrates in the rankings and selections.
“At the moment, you are getting negative marks for the stocking rate, which is completely unfair,” ICMSA said.
Regarding solar opt-in rates and Low Emission Slurry (LESS) deployment, O’Brien questioned the administration’s “willingness to support farmers on their journey toward lower emissions.”
“Less than that, and having 10% solar says it all,” O’Brien said.
ICMSA said the DAFM “needs to engage constructively” with the Department of the Environment “on including batteries in the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) grant and increasing SEAI grant rates to farmers”.
“The TAMS solar scheme is not working and, in fact, we would say it is preventing the benefit of the SEAI grant,” Pat O’Brien continued.
“We would be much further along in reducing our carbon footprint if solar was backed by a 100% opt-in rate, and it is frankly unbelievable that we are still struggling to do so.”
