The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) has said that the new National Beef Welfare Scheme (NBWS) is a “major disappointment”.
The scheme, announced on Wednesday evening (August 2) by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue will pay suckler farmers €50/cow for two mandatory actions.
Farmers will be paid €35/calf, up to a maximum of 40 calves, for meal feeding, meaning they can earn up to €1,400 for this action.
Farmers will also be paid up to €300 to test a maximum of 20 animals in their herd for infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR).
Farmers who take part in the NBWS as well as the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP), will earn €200/cow-calf pair.
INHFA
INHFA national vice-president Micheal McDonnell has now called on Minister McConalogue and his officials to review the conditions of the scheme .
“There needs to be an increase in the overall payment rate and a full review around the IBR testing requirement,” he said.
“This scheme was eagerly anticipated by suckler farmers, especially those that didn’t join SCEP.
“While it is positive that there are no impediments to joining as there is with the Bord Bia requirement under SCEP, the reality is that for the vast majority of suckler farmers there is no great incentive to join.
“In our proposals around this scheme we pointed to the need for a front-loaded payment on the first 10 cows and the need for practical measures and payment rates that would encourage participation.
“Unfortunately, the €50/cow payment rate is well short of what is required and while some may argue that there is a front-loaded payment on the first 20 cows, most of the financial benefit will be off-set through the IBR testing requirement,” McDonnell added.
The INHFA vice-president said that as NBWS is a national scheme, it is not subject to Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) regulation and this provides an opportunity to review the terms and conditions.
“There needs to be a higher payment rate for the mandatory meal requirement.
“In addition to this, there may be an opportunity to justify an environmental and animal welfare payment in recognition of the benefits from our extensive naturally reared suckler systems.
“With regard to the IBR testing it should only operate as a percentage of a farmer’s overall herd or should be considered as a voluntary add-on, which would avoid the need for penalties as is currently the case,” McDonnell said.