TAMS to be boost for dairy farmers

GALWAY dairy farmers have been advised to look closely at the options being offered in the new TAMS II Dairy Equipment Scheme with a view to upgrading and improving facilities on their farms.

Charlie Whiriskey, Galway IFA Dairy Committee Chairman, said that the scheme was to be welcomed as if offered significant grant aid to dairy farmers between now and 2020.

“Dairy farmers, like most other farmers, are involved in a continuous cycle of reinvesting  money into their enterprises. It is always an ongoing process but there are significant grants available and farmers should look very closely at all their options,” said Charlie Whiriskey.

A grant rate of 40% is available under the dairy section of Tams II up to a maximum investment of €80,000 – this would mean a maximum grant allocation of €32,000 per applicant.

Last week, Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney, announced that an ‘indicative allowance’ of €50 million was being made available for the dairy scheme over the course of the five year Rural Development Programme from 2015 to 2020.

Accorsding to Junior Agriculture Minister, Tom Hayes, the specific areas of investment covered by the scheme, will include milking machines, milk cooling and storage equipment, water heating and in-parlour feeding systems.

“I encourage all farmers thinking of investing to study the terms and conditions carefully to see how the new scheme could benefit them. All applications must be made on-line, either by the farmer or by an adviser authorised to act on his or her behalf,” said Tom Hayes.

Fine Gael TD, John O’Mahony, said that the scheme would directly support ‘the modern and forward looking’ dairy enterprises in farms in both counties.

“The Minister has stated how important it is to ensure that farmers have access to the most up to date technology  to enable them compete in the modern day dairy sector and this scheme will certainly help them in that regard,” he said.

The first tranche of applications for the scheme – now opening online – will be taken up until early October, but the scheme will continue to ‘roll on’ until 2020.