To qualify for the ANC/ASC Scheme you must –

• Hold a valid herd number and farm eligible disadvantaged lands in your own right. 
• Maintain a minimum stocking density of 0.15 livestock units per eligible forage hectare for 7 consecutive months within the 2019 calendar year.
• Maintain an annual average stocking density of 0.15 livestock units per eligible forage hectare for the 2019 calendar year.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed T.D., today announced a series of exciting new grants available for Irish farms under the TAMS on-farm investment scheme. The new measure will make €10m worth of grants available for energy efficiencies and renewable energy technologies, following a comprehensive review of the TAMS scheme designed to increase its focus on sustainability.     

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, T.D., has issued a strong reminder to farmers and advisors that hedgerows, trees in a line and drains / ditches are designated as landscape features under Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC). Under GAEC 7 beneficiaries are obliged to retain and maintain designated landscape features. 

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has issued a strong warning to farmers and their advisors in relation to agricultural and eligible forestry land which is burnt illegally during the closed season – i.e. 1 March to 31 August.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed T.D., today announced the early opening of the application process for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and the Greening Scheme.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed T.D., today announced the commencement of the first tranche of payments under the EID sheep tag subsidy scheme.

OBJECTIVES OF THE SCHEME

To further increase economic and environmental efficiency in the suckler herd through better quality data on herd performance, supporting decision making on farm.

Meal bins are now included for all sectors at a grant rate of 40% and 60% for young trained farmers who have their herd number less than five years and who are under forty years of age.

This list details all the companies that are accepted as producing meal bins / grain silos for grant-aid.

The following is an email that I received from the Nitrates section. This only applies to farmers that are using water from a well, stream, river or lake. Those farmers that are on the mains water system are already being recorded. It only applies to farmers with large numbers of livestock as you can see from the table below.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed T.D., today confirmed the continuation of the supports from his Department for the early removal of PI (persistently infected) calves under the national Bovine Viral Disease (BVD) Eradication Programme in 2019.

Soil analysis will tailor fertilizer application to match crop requirement ensuring optimum crop production, by reducing nutrient loss to the environment and growing farm profitability.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has announced that over 45,000 registered sheep and goat keepers will receive their Annual Sheep and/or Goat Census 2018 forms shortly. The return of census details is a legal requirement.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, TD, today announced that advance payments under year 2 Sheep Welfare Scheme have commenced on time this week to all eligible farmers. 

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, T.D., today announced details in relation to the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme for 2019.

The Mater Private Hospital in Dublin, who have held a successful partnership with IFA for a number of years, have launched a new Vascular Health Programme which offers a rapid and direct access to vascular diagnostic tests.