USING TAMS TO IMPROVE FARM SUSTAINABILITY

By Séamus Nolan,

Dairy Advisor

Teagasc Castlerea

 

The current TAMS grants have been in operation since 2015 and will continue to accept applications from eligible applicants until the end of 2022.  Within the TAMS grants a number of schemes are of particular relevance to livestock farmers.  These include the Animal Welfare, Safety and Nutrient storage Scheme (AWNSS), Dairy Equipment Scheme (DES) and Low Emission Slurry Spreading Scheme (LESS).  A broad list of items are eligible for grant aid under these schemes, a number of which can help to lower your farms carbon footprint and improve sustainability.

Under the LESS an applicant can apply for grant aid for either a new slurry tanker fitted with a trailing shoe / dribble or to retrofit a dribble bar to their existing tanker.  Investing in such technology reduces losses from slurry to the atmosphere and improves the utilisation of slurry Nitrogen potentially reducing chemical N requirements.

Under the AWSNS applicants can apply for grant aid for a GPS controlled / GPS ready fertilizer spreader.  This technology allows for more accurate application of expensive chemical fertilizers and should result in an overall reduction in chemical fertilizer use on the farm. 

On dairy farms both heating water and cooling milk are expensive processes.  Investment in a properly sized plate cooler can reduce milk cooling costs significantly while a heat transfer unit which uses the heat from the compressor to heat water is also covered under the DES.  It is also possible to get funding to aid in the installation of solar panels.  These investments will result in a reduction in energy consumption on dairy farms.

The above are only a sample of investments eligible under the various schemes that could help reduce the carbon footprint of your holding.  Some of these investments are quite expensive and may only be financially viable for larger holdings.  The standard rate of grant available is 40% with some younger farmers potentially qualifying for 60%.   If considering applying for TAMS grant you should firstly discuss with your adviser to see if you are eligible and if it is the right investment for you.  All applications are via an on-line system and approvals may take a number of months. 

 

Teagasc provides a Local Advisory and Education service to farmers. They have offices based in Roscommon Town  (Tel: 090 6626166), Castlerea (Tel: 094 9620160) and Longford Town (Tel: 043 3341021), You can find us on Facebook @Teagascroscommonlongford and twitter @teagascRNLD. Email; RoscommonLongfordAdvisory@teagasc.ie