Beef Plan Movement: Timing of beef scheme steps 'problematic'
The Beef Plan Movement has hit out at the timing of the confirmation of actual payments under the National Beef Welfare Scheme.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) confirmed that due to oversubscription the payment rate to farmers will be €67/calf rather that €75/calf.
The department said that €28 million had been allocated to the scheme under Budget 2025.
The scheme was open for applications from August 13 to September 24 2025, at which stage 24,476 farmers had applied to participate.
If all calves entered were to be paid in full, the department said scheme expenditure would be around €32 million.
The issue of oversubscription is covered in the terms and conditions of the scheme and allows the department to either reduce the rate of payment or the number of animals eligible under the scheme in order to stay within budget.
Beef Plan Movement
However, Nadaline Webster, Beef Plan Movement general manager, said that the timing of the steps involved in the scheme "which makes this system problematic".
"The closing date for submission of applications was the September 24, 2025. The rates of payment stated were the only means a farmer had of working out whether the scheme would be beneficial financially.
"Testing kits to meet the requirements of the scheme for either faecal egg counts or forage testing had to be obtained by the October 13 2025, along with receipts for meal purchased.
"And on the November 6, 2025, farmers find out what the actual rate of payment is - when it is too late to decide to withdraw your application because you have already invested the required outlay.
"This is a case where 'legally right' could be said to be 'morally wrong'.
"The timing of steps in this way means that farmers must apply for schemes under payment rates that may or may not apply," she said.
Payments
Webster said the clause "protects the government from going over budget on expenditure but what protects the farmer from the same fate?
"If rates of payment advertised in advance cannot be relied upon, then the date by which farmers must spend money on the scheme should not and cannot be before the real payment rates are released.
"It might also be usefully argued that in the event of undersubscription then, the rates of payment should rise but not such provision is contained in the terms and conditions," she said.
"As costs of living rise across Ireland, cost inputs on farms rise spectacularly and budgets everywhere come increasingly under pressure, the days of farmers paying out of pocket with no clarity on related income have to come to an end," Webster added.
