Farm Waste Management Scheme
Background
Teagasc advisers play an important role in ensuring that farmers can avail of these schemes by offering an advisory and planning facility to eligible farmers. These schemes
offer grant aid of up to 60% for certain farm buildings and equipment and 70% in some areas of the country. The maximum
eligible investment ceiling for the Farm Waste Management scheme is €120,000 per holding. The maximum eligible investment ceiling for the Dairy Hygiene Scheme remains at €50,000. There are strict eligibility criteria.
The Teagasc adviser will calculate eligibility for the scheme, assist with the application process. You can reach our services at Teagasc County Office. Application for aid should be made to the local Agricultural Environment & Structures Office of the Department in the county where the site of the proposed works is located. Applications not fully completed and accompanied by all documentation will be returned to applicants. The applicants will be requested to rectify the deficiencies outlined and if this is done satisfactorily within 21 working days of that request, the application will be reinstated and processing will recommence. Further information can be obtained at Department of Agriculture
Farm Waste Management Scheme - What's involved?
The Farm Waste Management Scheme aims to facilitate the management of farm waste by providing grant aid to farmers for investments in storage facilities for silage and
agricultural wastes, animal housing and equipment for the application of farm waste.
The principal objective of the Scheme is to assist farmers meet new requirements under the European Communities (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2005 (S.I. No. 788 of 2005 hereinafter termed “the 2005 Regulations”). The Scheme will provide grant-aid for facilities for the collection and storage of animal excreta, soiled water and other farmyard manures and related facilities, together with new equipment for the application of same to farmland.
Under the Nitrates Action Plan, Ireland is divided into three zones. The Farm Waste Management Scheme now recognizes the need for differential treatment of the four Zone C counties - Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim and Monaghan - where a 70% standard grant rate is being applied to both animal housing and slurry storage as compared with the new 60% grant rate in other areas.
Other significant elements of the scheme include:
- The income limit for this scheme is 650 Income Units in total. no maximum Income Unit limit will apply in the case of applications in respect of investments for pigs and poultry,
- Top-up grants are available for young farmers in certain cases; 10% additional aid for young trained farmers under 35 years of age who are not in zone C
- The scheme is being extended for the first time to include horses, deer, goats, pigs, poultry and mushroom compost;
- The scheme will include grant aid for the construction of earth-lined slurry/effluent stores with protective fencing which are built in accordance with the Department's specifications;
- The scheme includes a new 40% grant rate for specialised equipment with specific environmental advantages such as decanter centrifuge systems, dry feeding systems for pigs, and specialised slurry spreading tankers;
- The maximum eligible investment for standard mobile equipment is €15,000
- This Scheme is co-funded by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 and the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund of the European Union.
Eligible Investments
Associated farmyard facilities, such as pumps, agitators, scrapers, yards, aprons, walls and fencing are included, as well as sheep dipping and handling facilities.
The Farm Waste Management Scheme will also complement the REPS scheme by providing grant support to farmers who need to upgrade their waste management facilities as part of their environmental farm plans under that scheme. Table 1. outlines the various grant rates that are available throughout the country.
Summary of Grant Aid available under the Farm Waste Management Scheme
| Type of Investment | Standard Grant Rate | Eligible for additional aid |
|---|---|---|
|
1. Storage facilities for animal excreta, soiled water, mushroom compost and other farmyard manures in respect of the following species (i.e. cattle, sheep, deer, goats, horses, pigs and poultry) and related roofed structures Silage storage facilities Associated farmyard facilities Safety Elements on existing Farm Structures (Based on approved Standard Costs or receipts, whichever is the lesser) |
60% Zone A + Zone B 70% Zone C - Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, and Monaghan. |
10%, where site is in a less favoured area and applicant is not in receipt of a Zone C grant 5%, where site is in a less favoured area and applicant is in receipt of a Zone C grant |
|
2. Decanter Centrifuge systems Feeding systems for pigs (Based solely on receipts) |
40% Subject to a maximum eligible investment of €80,000 |
No |
|
3. Specialised Slurry/Soiled Water Handling Equipment (Based solely on receipts) |
40% Subject to a maximum eligible investment of €40,000 |
No |
|
4. Other equipment for application of slurries, farmyard manures and soiled water (Based solely on receipts) |
20% Subject to a maximum investment of €15,000 for the duration of the Scheme (i.e. since 1st February 2001) |
No |
New Structures/Investments
|
1. Storage Facilities for animal excreta, soiled water and other farmyard manures (includes storage facilities for Cattle, Deer, Goats, Horses, Pigs, Poultry and Sheep) and related structures |
Slurry/effluent tank underground/overground with protective fencing and/or rainwater cover, where appropriate Slurry tank under slatted/cubicle house Dungstead Manure/poultry litter/mushroom compost pit, roofed or unroofed Geo-membrane lined slurry/effluent stores with protective fencing and/or rainwater cover, where appropriate Earth-lined slurry/effluent stores with protective fencing and/or rainwater cover, with the entire structure being in accordance with the Department’s new structural specification S.131. |
|
Related Cattle Structures Cubicle house Slatted house |
Loose House Cubicle house Slatted house Unroofed slatted feed areas as an extension of an animal house Roofing of livestock feed yards Isolation box/Calving box Calf housing/bull pens |
|
Related Structures for other animals |
Deer/Goat/Horse/Pig/Poultry/Sheep housing Sheep accommodation unroofed |
|
Silage Storage Facilities |
Walled concrete silo (unroofed), or resurfacing of same Silo walls to existing silo base Concrete storage base for silage, or resurfacing of same Silo apron |
|
Associated Farmyard Facilities |
Yard drains Fixed cattle crushes/races Enclosures/collecting yards Installation of guttering on existing buildings Concrete areas for existing functional or new structures (See section 5 below). Sheep dipping tanks and associated facilities |
|
Safety Elements on Existing Farm Structures |
Safety fencing/Solid cover for external slurry and effluent stores Safety covers on external agitation points or manholes Safety rails on silo walls Replacement of single/twin slats by gang slats Removal of existing internal agitation point and its replacement by a gang slat Replacement of a hinged door/sheeted gate with a sliding door on animal housing |
|
2. Decanter Centrifuge Systems |
Installation of proprietary systems for the separation of pig slurry into solid and liquid portions. The supplier must certify that the system is capable of processing the slurry on the holding with a minimum of 80% of total slurry phosphorus being transferred into the solid fraction |
|
Feeding Systems for Pigs |
Upgrading of existing feeding and drinking systems for pigs to reduce the water usage including the installation of water meters |
|
3. Specialised Slurry/Soiled Water Handling Equipment |
Slurry/soiled water pumps/agitators/simple aeration systems Automatic slurry scrapers on solid floors only Specialised spreading tankers which must be equipped with full-size macerator and trailing shoe attachment. In addition, positive displacement pumps/metering systems fitted to such tankers will also be eligible for grant-aid. Self-travelling/pulse-jet irrigator for the distribution of soiled water (excluding piping) with a minimum distribution spread of 20 metres. |
|
4. Other Equipment for the application of slurry, farmyard manure and soiledwater |
Slurry tanker with low trajectory splash plate or injection system Rotary spreader. Moving floor dual spreader |
(ii) Requirement for storage facilities for animal excreta, soiled water and other farmyard manures
The applicant’s requirements for housing and associated
storage facilities for animal excreta, soiled water and
other farmyard manures must be set out in the application
form (FWM 1), taking account of all the enterprises on the
farm and the specifications set out in the 2005 Regulations.
The storage deficit requiring investment to enable the
applicant comply with the above Regulations is then
established by reference to the existing facilities on the
farm.
However, where the Local Authority has specified a higher winter storage period than that specified in the 2005 Regulations, this must be complied with.
Applications for investments exceeding the storage required to enable the applicant comply with the 2005 Regulations or a higher storage period specified by a Local Authority shall not be eligible for grant-aid.
(iii) Roofing of Feed Area(s) and /or Animal Yard(s) to Reduce Volumes of Slurry/Soiled Water Requiring Storage
- A roof may be constructed over any slatted feed area, whether built as an extension to existing buildings or separately as part of farm development. External agitation points shall be provided in accordance with S.123.
- A roof may be constructed over an existing solid feeding yard, either
- as an extension of an existing animal house or as a stand-alone structure.
- A roof may be constructed over a new or existing collecting yard for dairy cows.
- A covered tank may be constructed under either a new or existing collecting yard. If the yard is to become part of an animal house, then agitation points shall be provided in accordance with S.123. If the tank is constructed to collect only soiled water, agitation points are not needed, but a safety manhole shall be installed.
(iv) Aid for Certain Building Elements
- Each sliding door on cattle and sheep housing is designated as an additional extra cost (per sq. metre).
- All ventilated metal cladding (Spec. S. 102), either on the sides or on the gables of buildings, is costed at a higher rate than standard cladding.
The area in square metres of both of the above items should be noted in the application.
(v) Maximum Aided Investment for Concrete
The following areas of concrete surfaces associated with adjoining new grant-aided structures will qualify for grant-aid:
|
Bovine and other Animal Housing |
Concrete equivalent to an 8m wide apron, including any external feed passage, along working side* only of unit/house. |
Silos/Silage bases |
Concrete area(s) extra to the standard apron, to facilitate working/filling equivalent to a 10m strip at the working face. Silage base costings shall apply to all concrete drained by silage effluent channels. |
|
Cattle handling Facility |
Allow concrete for pen(s) appropriate to herd size (2 m2 per animal) for cattle handling facilities in every yard complex. |
|
Waste Storage Facility |
8m wide apron, along the working side only. |
|
* The working side is determined to be the long end for single sided houses and the gable end for double-sided houses. |
|
(vi) Conversions of existing structures
Conversion of existing structures may be eligible for grant
aid provided the estimated costs of conversion to the
relevant Specification do not exceed 70% of the cost of an
equivalent new structure. Where conversion is the only
feasible solution because of (e.g.) space constraints, a
conversion cost must not exceed the cost of a new structure.
Aid will not be given for works commenced or equipment/items purchased before written approval has been conveyed to a farmer.
All Department Structural specifications and also notices relevant to OFI Schemes can be accessed on the Department of Agriculture and Food website at www.agriculture.gov.ie under the heading “Farm Buildings”
