Over 27,000 applications have been made for the Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot – Sucklers (BEEP-S) scheme.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) confirmed to Agriland that 27,058 applications were received as of the closing date at midnight last night (April 26).
This figure is a very slight decrease on the figure for the 2020 BEEP-S scheme, which saw 27,088 applications – a difference of just 30.
As set out in the scheme’s terms and conditions, there is a 25-day calendar period after the closing date for the acceptance of late applications, with deductions to payments at a rate of 1% per day applied.
Under this provision, the last day for late applications is May 21.
The table below outlines the county-by-county breakdown of where the 27,058 applications came from:
| County | No. of applications | County | No. of applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlow | 311 | Longford | 919 |
| Cavan | 1,409 | Louth | 219 |
| Clare | 2,186 | Mayo | 2,682 |
| Cork | 1,864 | Meath | 622 |
| Donegal | 1,547 | Monaghan | 1,000 |
| Dublin | 56 | Offaly | 594 |
| Galway | 3,010 | Roscommon | 1,718 |
| Kerry | 1,271 | Sligo | 1,078 |
| Kildare | 282 | Tipperary | 1,068 |
| Kilkenny | 577 | Waterford | 299 |
| Laois | 609 | Westmeath | 909 |
| Leitrim | 1,130 | Wexford | 566 |
| Limerick | 750 | Wicklow | 382 |
| Total | 27,058 |
The scheme opened for applications on March 16.
This year’s BEEP-S scheme has a funding provision for €40 million. This is the second year of the BEEP-S scheme, and the third year overall of BEEP.
The scheme is designed to measure and record the live weight of calves at weaning as a percentage of the cow’s live weight.
Applicants to the scheme can also undertake a number of additional options targeting calf health and welfare.
These is: a measure for meal feeding or vaccination of weanlings; and a measure for faecal egg testing.
Under BEEP–S, participants may be eligible for up to €90 for the first 10 suckler cow/calf pairs per herd and up to €80/pair thereafter – subject to an overall maximum of 100 pairs/herd – if they carry put all options under the scheme.
If a farmer opts just for the mandatory weighing aspect of the scheme, they will receive €50 for the first 10 pairs, and €40 thereafter (up to 100 pairs).