Applications under the Women Farmers’ Capital Investment Scheme for all milking machines are restricted to holdings of no more than 120 dairy cows, on average, over the calendar year preceding the date of application.
The average will be the average of dairy cow numbers on the holding on the following dates of the relevant year, preceding application:
- March 31st;
- June 30th;
- September 30th;
- December 31st.
Applications under the scheme for all milking machine investments must have at least 10% additional slurry storage above the legal minimum at the date of application for a milking machine.
According to the measure’s terms and conditions, which the DAFM released on Wednesday, June 21st, 2023, additional slurry storage must be on either land owned by the applicant or land that the applicant has on a long-term lease (minimum of seven years from the date of application).
The DAFM has also confirmed that it will only pay grant aid on one robotic milking machine per holding.
Moreover, if an applicant has received grant aid for a robotic milking machine under TAMS 2 or TAMS 3, they will not be eligible for further grant aid for this investment item.
The DAFM has also confirmed that a registered farm partnership, regardless of the number of partners, is deemed one holding.
See the terms and conditions of the Dairy Equipment Scheme, which also contains this criterion, as previously featured on www.thatsfarming.com via this link.
Recoupment
The DAFM has also stated that there will be recoupments for a dairy herd size increase during five years post payment of grant-aid for milking machine investment, as follows:
- Increase of less than 5 dairy cows – 0% recoupment;
- Increase of more than 5 dairy cows and less than 10 dairy cows – 25% recoupment;
- Increase of more than 10 dairy cows and less than 15 dairy cows – 50% of recoupment;
- Increase of more than 15 dairy cows – 100% recoupment.
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