With new rules on slurry and dirty water storage set to kick in from 1 October 2028, farmers must make the most of the Targeted Agriculture Modernization Scheme (TAMS) this summer.
With silage being picked for the first time in many areas and breeding beginning to slow, it is time to take advantage of the quieter months and take advantage of slurry storage.
As it stands, growers need slurry storage space 0.33m3/cow/week, as well 0.21m3/cow/week for dirty water.
This means that a farm with a herd of 100 cows in an area requiring 20 weeks of storage currently needs 660,000 liters or 145,180 gallons of slurry storage.
However, from 2028, dairy farms will need 0.4 m3/cow/week of slurry storage, meaning the same farm would then need 800,000 liters or 175,975 gallons of storage, an increase of 140,000 litres.
The storage of polluted water is also increasing 0.3m3/cow/week, which means that 100 dairy cows milked during “critical times” will need an additional 36 cubic meters for the month in which the spread of polluted water is restricted.
Tams
With milk prices falling this year, cash flow is tight and the last thing farmers want to do is spend, but if you don’t have enough storage you will need to upgrade at some point either way.
Waiting for milk prices to rise before getting down to business could be a dangerous game, as costs could rise again by then, especially given how ready mix prices have almost doubled since 2020.
Additionally, if you’re looking at a TAMS grant, between planning, design, and approval, it could take several months to get across the line, which would get us to 2027 before it can actually get started.
TAMS Tranche 3 12 is due to close next Friday (June 19) – however, Tranche 13 will open on Saturday (June 20) where farmers can apply for nutrient storage aid, before closing again in September.
Grading and selection will be conducted to manage the number of approvals, and is implemented at a 75% selection rate in the Animal Welfare Nutrient Storage System (AWNSS).
Farmers must therefore be thorough in their applications, seeking assistance from local agricultural consultants on current and future regulations as well as eligibility and design.
Farmers will also need to review construction specifications with an engineer and planner to ensure that construction meets TAMS 3 specifications.
Planning permission is next, as investments under the Nutrient Storage Investment Scheme require this, unless exempted by the council, and planning can take up to three months to go over the line alone.
Once planning permission is obtained, farmers can submit their applications through the TAMS 3 portal, making sure to include all documents.
These fixed investments should not commence until full approval is obtained, which could take up to five months from the closing of the tranche.
If everything is according to specifications, farmers can receive up to €90,000 as a grant for their tanks and slides.
Reference costs
Published by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). Updated TAMS reference costs In September 2025.
Under Costs, there is a tool that can be used to calculate reference costs for silage effluent tanks; Square or rectangular tanks L-shaped tanks T-shaped tanks U-shaped tanks H-shaped tanks Double H-shaped tanks; Tanks are shaped like a plus sign. The tanks are shaped like donuts.
Simply enter the cabinets’ dimensions, specify any additional information such as spine walls, and you’ll get the total reference cost.
Example of a DAFM slurry reference cost spreadsheet for a rectangular tank. Source: DAFM
Precast concrete tanks follow the equation y = 0.2439x + 4445, where x = tank volume in liters and y = tank cost.
For example, if the proposed tank is a concrete block and has a capacity of 20,000 litres, the farmer must add that to the equation.
- (0.2439(20,000) + 4445) = 9,323 euros
This €9,323 includes the cost of the cover over the tank.
Circular slurry tanks follow the same system. However, they use the equation y = 32.69x + 29073 (where x is m³) for volume and y = 109.16x + 13281 (where x is m²) for store coverage.
