The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is currently finalising details of in-person training events for farmers in the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP).
In May, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue confirmed that a number of in-person training events would be held later during the summer.
The announcement followed concerns that some farmers, especially those in an older age cohort and those with poor internet connections, would struggle to complete the online training course.
SCEP
As part of the terms and conditions of scheme, farmers are required to complete a mandatory online training course on SCEP actions and livestock handling by November 15, 2024.
The department has warned that failure to complete the course by the deadline will render farmers ineligible to remain in the programme and monies received will have to be repaid.
In a statement to Agriland, a DAFM spokesperson said: “The department is currently finalising a limited number of locations for in person SCEP training and these will be announced in the coming weeks.
“For most SCEP participants, it will be most advantageous for them to do it online at a date, time and location that suits them rather than having to be tied to a specific physical training location on specific day of the working week,” they added.
The online training, available at www.sceptraining.ie, consists of seven modules, each of which take, on average, around 30 minutes to complete.
The department said that farmers can do all the modules at once or complete them in stages.
Up to last Friday (August 23), 4,031 farmers had fully completed the online SCEP training. In addition, a further 2,321 had commenced the training modules.
“That means over 37% of farmers have already engaged in the mandatory SCEP training,” the DAFM spokesperson said.
The department’s direct payments helpdesk in Portlaoise received 325 calls relating to SCEP during August, of which 44 related to technical assistance for SCEP training.
Accessible
Meanwhile, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) Livestock Committee chair Declan Hanrahan said that the in-person SCEP training events “must be easily accessible to all farmers”.
He maintained that the online facility provided by the department to date has not been easily accessible for a significant number of farmers.
Hanrahan called on Minister Charlie McConalogue to announce the dates and venues for these events as soon as possible to ensure farmers have adequate time to arrange their attendance.
He said that in organising the venues the minister must be cognisant of the areas where the greatest needs are.
“All farmers must be provided with a number of venue options within close proximity to their location,” he said.
He added that “it will not be acceptable for the minister or his officials to expect farmers to undertake long journeys to attend these events”.
Hanrahan said that the SCEP payments are “vital” for suckler farmers and “it is important the minister ensures there are no unnecessary obstacles put in the way of farmers in meeting the scheme requirements”.