The 2024 Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme is set to open in March, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has said.
The minister was speaking at a seminar focused on the future of the dairy calf to beef sector today (Thursday, January 18).
The event takes place in Portlaoise, Co. Laois, and has been organised by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Teagasc, the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), and Bord Bia.
Minister McConalogue told attendees: “In March, I will launch a new Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme under the CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) Strategic Plan.
“This scheme will support the use of high dairy beef index sires in the dairy herd using either a stock bull or AI (artificial insemination).
The minister indicated that the scheme’s budget will be over €6 million.
“This measure is designed to focus on improving the beef traits of calves to facilitate their retention on the island for better integration of those animals into local production system,” Minister McConalogue added.
The minister had confirmed after the announcement of Budget 2024 in October that, of the €700 million that his department had been allocated for agri-environment initiatives, €6.5 million would go towards funding for a dairy-beef calves.
The meeting in Portlaoise today has been described by Minister McConalogue as a “high-level seminar”, and will focus on highlighting the potential of dairy calf to beef systems as an option for farmers.
The event is taking place as part of the implementation of the actions agreed by stakeholders in Food Vision 2030 to develop and support dairy-beef systems.
The seminar, which is aimed at key stakeholders in the beef and dairy sectors, will also see the launch of a consultation on a draft action plan to support dairy calf beef systems on farms.
Speaking earlier, in advance of the meeting, Minister McConalogue said: “We are coming together with stakeholders to discuss progress to date on developing dairy calf-to-beef systems, and to collaborate further in making dairy calf-to-beef systems a profitable and sustainable option for farmers.
“It is important that the potential of these systems is fully understood in advance of the upcoming breeding season,” he added.
Additional reporting by Breifne O’Brien