The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) has signed off on a €28 million package set to be rolled out as an additional scheme for suckler farmers, according to the Irish Farmers’ Association’s (IFA’s) Livestock Committee chair Brendan Golden.
Agriland understands the new scheme, which is expected to be announced shortly, will replace the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme – Sucklers (BEEP-S) and compliment the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) which was rolled out this year.
While the final details of the scheme have not been announced yet, Golden explained to Agriland that he expects measures such as vaccination and concentrate feeding to weanlings to be included as measures in the scheme.
Previously, suckler farmers participating in BEEP-S were required to weigh the calf and cow pairs in the scheme and send the weight data to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF).
However, this measure has now been included under the SCEP and therefore is not expected to be included in this additional new scheme when it is rolled out.
Suckler payment rates
Golden explained that the IFA has sought a payment of €90/cow under the new scheme, however he noted that if all 500,000 cows entered in SCEP are entered in the additional suckler scheme, the payment “should be something over €60/cow”.
However, Golden emphasised that this is simply approximate calculations and added that the final details on the scheme are expected from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) shortly.
Assuming the €60/cow payment rate is secured under the new scheme, suckler farmers would be securing combined support payments of €210/cow on their first 22 cows, when the SCEP payment is included.
The SCEP will pay participating farmers €150/cow on the first 22 cows and €120/cow on subsequent cows.
In each scheme year, applicants must calve at least 50% beef-breed animals of the yearly reference number.