Latest news with #CAPStrategicPlan
Agriland
a day ago
- Business
- Agriland
All eligible TAMS applications approved but limits on next tranche
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, today (Saturday, June 7) confirmed the approval of 100% of eligible applications received under Tranches 6, 7 and 8 of the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Schemes (TAMS) 3 scheme. Tranche 6 closed to applications on March 7, 2025, with 4,931 applications received across the 11 schemes. Tranche 7, the emergency tranche, which was opened in response to Storm Éowyn, closed for applications on March 28, with 1,945 applications submitted in respect of the agreed emergency investments, namely: Back-up generators; Sheep, bovine and equine fencing; Wood/biomass chipper; Mulchers. Tranche 8 closed yesterday, Friday June 6, with approximately 5,000 applications received and the final number will be confirmed early next week. Tranche 9 of the scheme is now open. Minister Heydon commented: 'TAMS 3 has proven to be a very successful scheme, with approximately 42,000 applications received over the first seven tranches since February 2023, supporting farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings, while addressing issues such as generational renewal and farm safety. 'Over €70.5 million has issued to over 8,000 applicants, with payments of approximately €2 million continuing to issue on a weekly basis. 'However, TAMS is a demand-led scheme with a defined budgetary allocation. Given that we are now just halfway through the current CAP Strategic Plan (CSP), it is prudent that we are mindful of the budget available for the remaining TAMS tranches. 'In order to ensure that the available budget is distributed fairly over the remainder of the CSP, it may be necessary to limit the number of approved applications per tranche going forward by applying ranking and selection criteria, including for the upcoming Tranche 9, which opened on June 7 and will close on September 6,' the minister said. This will be kept under ongoing review for the remainder of the CSP. TAMS is jointly funded by the national exchequer and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) of the European Union (EU) under Ireland's Rural Development Plan 2014-2022 and CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027. Under the On-farm Capital Investment Scheme known as TAMS 3, there are 11 individual schemes. These are as follows: Animal Welfare, Nutrient Storage Scheme (AWNSS) at 40% grant rate, with a €90,000 investment ceiling; Tillage Capital Investment Scheme (TCIS) at 40% grant rate, with a €90,000 investment ceiling; Pig and Poultry Capital Investment Scheme (PPIS) at 40% grant rate, with a €500,000 investment ceiling; Dairy Equipment Scheme (DES) at 40% grant rate, with a €90,000 investment ceiling; Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (YFCIS) at 60% grant rate, with a €90,000 investment ceiling; Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (WFCIS) at 60% grant rate, with a €90,000 investment ceiling; Organic Farming Capital Investment Scheme (OCIS) at 60% grant rate, with a €90,000 investment ceiling; Farm Safety Capital Investment Scheme (FCIS) at 60% grant rate, with a €90,000 investment ceiling; Solar Capital Investment Scheme (SCIS) at 60% grant rate, with a €90,000 investment ceiling that is separate from other schemes; Low Emission Slurry Spreading Equipment Scheme (LESS) at 60% grant rate, with a €40,000 investment ceiling that is separate from other schemes; Nutrient Importation Storage Scheme (NISS) at 70% grant rate, with a €90,000 investment ceiling that is separate from other schemes.
Agriland
26-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Department publishes list of CAP beneficiaries for 2024
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has published the annual list of who benefitted from payments under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the 2024 programme year. The department is required to publish the information before the end of May in each year following the year in question. The data, published today (Monday, May 26) outlines how much money was received by each beneficiary across all aspects of CAP across Pillar I and Pillar II. The beneficiaries can be legal persons, or an entity, such as a farm that operates with a business name. The data cover the CAP expenditure period of October 16, 2023 to October 15, 2024. Therefore, the publication today is the first such publication that covers an entire year of the current 2023-2027 CAP under Ireland's CAP Strategic Plan, as last year's publication (for 2023) included the last couple of months of 2022, which was part of a 'rolled-over' CAP programme that officially came to an end in 2020. For this reason, there are some differences in how funding is recorded under various measures. For example, in this year's publication, the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) is listed separately to direct payments. In last year's CAP beneficiaries publication, neither BISS, nor its predecessor the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), were listed as separate items. Focusing at first on payments listed under the direct payments measure, the data shows the largest amount of direct payment funding for a single beneficiary was €181,541.42, for 'Reps' of Harry O'Farrell, of Co. Roscommon. This was followed by 'Reps' of Matthew & Alan Ward, of Co. Clare, with €136,829.19. The third highest recipient was 'Reps' of Deirdre Bourns, of Co. Galway, with €113,422.47. The top 10 recipients of direct payments for 2024 are outlined in the table below: Beneficiary County Amount Reps of Harry O'Farrell Roscommon €181,541.42 Reps of Matthew & Alan Ward Clare €136,829.19 Reps of Deirdre Bourns Galway €113,422.47 Reps of James Butler Kilkenny €102,542.88 Alan Carson Mayo €91,325.07 Reps of Michael J Towey Roscommon €89,956.50 Reps of James T Neale Carlow €88,237.81 Curraghdermot Farms Limited Cork €88,010.57 Reps of John & T O'Callaghan Cork €87,123.27 David & Aidan Fennin Kildare €74,766.84 Source: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Turning to CAP payments listed under the BISS measure, the highest amount paid out was €120,255.98 to Tallon Farm, of Co. Meath. The next highest payment was to a recipient recorded as 'Ghillsdltd Tbrownaodonovan', of Co. Cork, which received €119,865.30. The third highest BISS payment went to Park Farms Partnership in Co. Carlow, which received €115,866.86. The top 10 beneficiaries of BISS for 2024 are outlined in the table below: Beneficiary County Amount Tallon Farm Meath €120,255.98 Ghillsdltd Tbrownaodonovan Cork €119,865.30 Park Farm Partnership Carlow €115,866.86 Gillstown Dairy Partnership Meath €114,564.30 Reps of K & M & B Byrne Kildare €113,589.14 Shanrahan Farms Tipperary €108,920.69 Darmody Brosfarm Partnership Tipperary €101,075.61 Tara Agri Offaly €95,941.59 Power Farm Partnership Kilkenny €92,654.80 Lisbeg Dairies Galway €92,572.89 Source: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Irish Examiner
19-05-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Ireland's farmers committing millions of ACRES to improving biodiversity
From bats to birds, small mammals to native trees, more than 54,000 farmers across the country are playing a vital role in improving biodiversity through participation in a flagship agri-environment scheme under Ireland's CAP Strategic Plan for 2023-2027. A quarter of all agricultural land here, 1.1 million hectares, forms part of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES). As well as improving water quality, and preserving habitats and landscapes, a key aim of the €1.5 billion scheme is to halt and reverse biodiversity decline. While the scheme involves nature-friendly management of farms nationwide, farmers in high-priority geographical areas are supported by local ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) teams. Leitrim's landscape, for example, is seeing a new chapter in biodiversity conservation thanks to the collaborative efforts of local farmers and the ACRES Breifne Co-operation (CP) team. Suckler farmer Seamus Cornyn, whose land borders Lough Allen near Dowra, offered his farm as an ACRES CP demonstration site, aiming to inspire others to take practical steps for nature. With support from the Breeding Waders European Innovation Partnership, along with the ACRES Breifne CP team, Seamus recently established a series of 'wader scrapes' — small, shallow ponds designed as feeding grounds for threatened birds like curlew and snipe. These birds, once common in the area, have suffered dramatic declines and are now red-listed in Ireland. Snipes have suffered dramatic declines and are now red listed in Ireland. Photo: Courtesy of ACRES Breifne CP Team Installation of wader scrapes is supported under ACRES 'Non-Productive Investments'. These scrapes encourage invertebrate life, providing essential food for waders, and their muddy margins are perfect for probing beaks. Within days of creating the scrapes, trail cameras captured snipe and other wildlife using the new habitat, illustrating the impact of targeted, well-planned conservation and the crucial role of local teams in supporting farmers to restore biodiversity while maintaining productive land. Meanwhile, farmers in Wicklow and the Mid West are increasingly turning to new technology to help improve the nature value of their farms. In Munster / South Connacht, farmers and the local CP Team, are using static ultra-sonic monitoring surveys and data gathered as part of the ACRES results-based scoring programme to reconnect isolated populations of Lesser Horseshoe Bats to increase genetic diversity and expand the foraging habitat for this protected species. The Burren and Aran Islands are a well-known biodiversity stronghold boasting over 70% of Ireland's native species. The ACRES Burren Aran Co-operation Project Team (BUA CP) works with farmers in managing and conserving the rich ecological, archaeological, geological and cultural heritage of the Burren, Aran Islands and South Galway. Over 60% of the farmers in the area are involved in ACRES covering 940 km2. During the summers of 2023 and 2024, over 17,000 parcels of land were scored by farm advisors to give a measure of environmental quality of the farmland. Results showed 8,700ha of farmland within the ACRES Burren Aran zone scored a 9 or 10 (out of 10), illustrating the exceptional biodiversity in species-rich winterages, meadows, woodland and wetlands managed by farmers in the region. Old Irish Goat. Photo: Courtesy of ACRES West Connacht CP Team. On Achill Island the ACRES West Connacht CP Team is working with locals on a pilot farm project to eradicate Gunnera tinctoria (Wild or Chilean Rhubarb). Invasive species like Gunnera tinctoria take over a site and can outcompete the native species, which negatively impacts biodiversity. Once established, invasive species are difficult to control and require expensive, labour-intensive treatment. It can take years to re-establish native species to the affected areas after an infestation. As part of the ACRES Co-operation approach, a pilot study established last year set out to assess possible options to improve and develop appropriate and environmentally sensitive management solutions to control wild rhubarb on agricultural land in Ireland. The farm study covers an area that has a severe 15-year infestation of Gunnera. Up to now, foliar spraying of herbicide has been the main method of controlling the plant on Achill, but because of its size and large umbrella-shaped leaves, it requires high volumes of herbicide solution, most of which washes off the plant directly into the ground and nearby watercourses. A more environmentally-friendly method is to apply herbicide directly to freshly-cut stems and into the root system but this is not without challenges because the Gunnera growth is dense, and grows to over 2.5m in summer. While the pilot will continue long-term, it is already showing positive results. Targeted grazing by the Old Irish Goat provides an effective method of clearing the Gunnera leaves and stems, preferring to browse on the leaves than on the available grass, opening up the site to allow for easier and safer access to the stems and root system. This reduces the labour and time involved in cutting and treating the stems. Nationwide, farmers in ACRES have so far committed to an array of actions to improve biodiversity including installing nearly 14,000 barn owl nest boxes, leaving 57,000 hectares of grassland undisturbed to support overwintering geese and swans including the Whooper Swan, Greenland White Fronted Goose, Barnacle Goose and Brent Goose, and planting more than half a million native trees including 26,000 traditional Irish apple trees. ACRES is the national agri-environment climate measure under Ireland's CAP Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2027. The Scheme is jointly funded by the European Union and the National Exchequer. More information on ACRES is available on the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine website.
