Almost 10,000 suckler farmers have applied for the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) as the deadline for applications is fast approaching.
Latest figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) have shown that a total of 9,864 applications have been made to the suckler scheme as of this afternoon (Friday, May 5).
The closing date for applications to SCEP is midnight on Monday, May 22, 2023.
As of Friday, May 5, the highest number of SCEP applications has been received from the following five counties:
- Galway: 1,148;
- Mayo: 1,090;
- Clare: 944;
- Cork: 641;
- Roscommon: 558.
The SCEP, is the successor to the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) and has a budget of €260 million over five years.
The scheme is co-funded by the EU under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan.
The SCEP will pay participating farmers €150/cow on the first 22 cows and €120/cow on subsequent cows. A 20-cow suckler herd will be eligible for a payment of €3,000 under the scheme.
The SCEP targets bovine emissions through enhanced use of genetics, genomics, and performance metrics. It will operate as a five-year contract.
Applications for SCEP can only be submitted using the department’s online AgFood facility either by the applicant themselves or by an approved Farm Advisory System (FAS) advisor authorised to act on their behalf.
Applicants not already registered for the department’s online services will need to register first.
Second suckler scheme
Details on an additional suckler scheme, to complement SCEP are also expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
The additional scheme will replace the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme – Sucklers (BEEP-S).
Previously, BEEP-S paid suckler farmers for weighing suckler cows and calves, however this measure has now been incorporated into the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) which opened for applications on March 20.
The new scheme to replace BEEP-S will have a different title and Agriland understands approximately €30 million has been set aside in Budget 2023 for the BEEP-S replacement scheme.
There are no final details available as of yet on how the replacement for the BEEP-S will look, but it is expected the new scheme will include similar measures to BEEP-S minus the weighing element.
In 2022, BEEP-S had a funding provision of €40 million and targeted the weaning efficiency of suckler cows and calves by measuring the liveweight of the calf at weaning as a percentage of the cow’s liveweight.
Applicants to the scheme could also select from a number of optional health and welfare measures, including meal feeding or vaccination of weanlings and/or faecal egg testing of suckler cows.