066-915 0530 || 
AEOS 3 Deadlines
All non-productive capital investment actions must be carried out by the 31st March 2014. These actions include New Hedgerow Establishment, Broadleaf tree Planting, Alternative Water supply for Bovines, Riparian Margins and Establishment and Maintenance of Habitats. All receipts must be broken down for each individual action . All planting and fencing must be done as per guidelines in the AEOS 3 specification. Fencing must be stock proof and fit for purpose. Ash has now been excluded from the list of native broadleaf trees acceptable. Please consult all specifications before undertaking works otherwise penalties will apply to work completed incorrectly. Failure to complete actions in locations as per your AEOS 3 plan will result in non-payment for this action.
Inheritance Tax – Transferring the Family Farm
When a father and mother decide to transfer the farm to a son or a daughter there are certain taxes that will affect both them and the person getting the farm. This is a very complex issue and it is vital that any person thinking of going down this road get the proper advice from their solicitor, accountant and agricultural consultant. These professionals have a vital role to play in the process and they will ensure that the transfer proceeds smoothly.
The first step in calculating the liability to taxes is to get the assets valued by an Auctioneer. Tax is payable on the value of the assets being inherited or received. The tax is based on the “market value” of the asset and this is the price that the property would fetch on the open market if it was put up for sale.
1) Capital Acquisition Tax (CAT): This tax is charged when you receive a gift or inheritance hence the name gift tax and inheritance tax. It is the person receiving the gift that is liable for the tax. The rate of this tax is 33%. There is a small gift exemption were the first €3,000 of the taxable value of a gift is exempt from tax.
2) How Much Can Be Received Tax-Free: The amount that can be received tax free will depend on the relationship to the donor. This tax free allowance is over the lifetime of the person and is not an annual amount of money. Over the years the tax free amount of money that can be received tax free has being reduced over the past number of years and the tax rate has increased. The following is the up to date amount of money that a person can receive tax free depending on the relationship to the person that is giving the gift.
Relationship to the donor Tax Free Amount
Husband or wife ALL
Child / favourite Nephew/Niece or parent €225,000
Brother, Sister /child of a brother or Sister €30,150
Any other Person €15,075
There are certain reliefs that are available to a person getting the gift to lessen the tax burden.
Removal of Milk Quotas to Drive Phenomenal Growth
Ireland to share disproportionally in this growth, with forecasters predicting potential additional production opportunities in excess of €1 billion.The food harvest report sets a target of achieving a 50% increase in milk production by 2020.In volume terms this equates to 7.66 billion litres.
However this growth in contingent on the national herd increasing from 1.1 million to 1.4 million dairy cows. The Departure of Agriculture has established the dairy plan activation group, who recently published a road map which details how to achieve the ambitious 50% target by 2020.The department of agriculture describes the groups remit is “to address the specific actions needed to implement the recommendations of food harvest 2020. The road map includes 55 specific targets which need to be implemented to achieve the 2020 target and recommends significant investment in new product development, R&D and new routes to market which needs to be supported by development and funding agencies. One of the most interesting measures is developing Brand Ireland and developing the concept of Ireland - the food island.
Farm Safety - An Important Message to Farmers
For the third year running, the Department of Agriculture, Food & Marine, in conjunction with the Health & Safety Authority, is to issue a Farm Safety message to all farmers. This year’s Farm Safety message will be included with the Single Payment Scheme farm maps when they are posted out this week. The message highlights child safety, in particular. Farming continues to be the most dangerous occupation in Ireland, with an average of 20 fatalities per year over the past 4 years. Already in 2014 there has been a number of fatalities on our farms. Between 2000 and 2010, 27 children have died following a farm accident. The main causes of child fatalities are tractors/machinery and drowning. Last year alone, 4 children died as a result of a farm accident. A farmyard can seem like a playground to a child’s eyes. However, children can’t be expected to anticipate the dangers of playing there. Therefore, parents need to see these dangers and set ground rules for children on farms. For example, carrying children as passengers in large machinery is taking a serious risk because tractors and machinery have been responsible for half of all farming fatalities in Ireland over the past 10 years.
Each year, the Health & Safety Authority (HSA) conduct work place safety inspections. This year it will focus its inspections on high risk sectors with a target of 2,900 farm inspections for Agriculture alone.
A top priority for the HSA and the Department is to reduce the numbers killed and injured in Agriculture. HSA inspections address key issues of farm safety management such as tractor and machinery safety, animal handling, slurry handling and child and elderly safety. Chainsaw safety is also addressed in forestry inspections. The HSA plans to engage with marts and co-ops on a monthly basis to drive messages on critical safety issues home to farmers.
Farmers have nothing to fear from HSA-led farm safety inspections. The benefits of working safely are immeasurable. In contrast, the cost of a serious farm accident, or worse a fatality, is a price too high for any farming family.
Single Payment Scheme – 2014:
There has been a long wait, but finally, SPS maps are being issued, and have been received in some counties. Lets hope that Kerry is not too far behind. Once the maps have being posted, the actual SPS Application form for 2014 will not be far behind. It is advisable to contact your advisor as soon as you receive them, as this will be a particularly busy year, and anyone who leaves completing his farm till the last minute puts both himself and his advisor under un-necessary pressure. More to follow.
Sheep Notes:
Dead grass:- Where grass was not fully grazed off last autumn, there may be lots of grass now but quality will be poor with a lot of dead material. It is necessary to remove this old grass to allow the pasture to recover when grass growth improves. Ewes will milk poorly and lamb thrive will be adequate on this type of pasture. Supplementation will also be necessary in this case.
Keeping lambs alive:- Ewe productivity has a major impact on profitability. While you cannot affect litter size at this stage you can maximise lamb survival. Every lamb saved is potentially worth €70 to €80 at slaughter. Starvation, exposure and infectious disease are the common killers in the first few days of life. Hygiene and adequate colostrum intake immediately post lambing are of the utmost importance.
Colostrum:- Problems will arise if newborn lambs do not get adequate colostrum. Ideally, lambs should receive 50ml of colostrum per kg body weight in the first hour (200ml for a 4kg lamb). After lambing, check that each ewe has a good supply of colostrum. It should be free flowing and easy for the lamb to suck. By checking the first 10 or so ewes lambing, you will get a good indication as to overall flock status. Insufficient colostrum is generally associated with:
•ewes not receiving sufficient feeding, particularly protein, in the last two to three weeks of pregnancy; and/or,
•ewes in poor body condition.
These problems can easily arise if poor quality silage was fed over the past few months. The quality and quantity of colostrum from the ewes remaining to lamb can be improved within a few days by increasing the meal level and particularly providing protein supplementation (100-200g soya). It will take much longer to correct poor ewe condition.
For further information, contact Louis Murchan:- (087)2857938