Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has announced “further flexibility” for participants in the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) who may be impacted by beef index changes which came into effect on November 28.
Participants have already been advised that animals in SCEP herds whose index falls maintain their original index and are not impacted unless the participant sells that animal to a non-SCEP herd.
The minister has now moved to apply further flexibility for farmers in the scheme to ensure that they are not disadvantaged by the changes introduced by the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF).
This additional measure means that female offspring of genotyped females in SCEP herds that do not become eligible for the scheme on their own genomic evaluation may become eligible if their sire and dam meet a minimum requirement on the September 2023 ICBF evaluation.
In the case where the dam was 3, 4 or 5-star and the sire was 4 or 5-star on the replacement index, their female offspring will be considered ‘SCEP eligible’ even if, when they are genotyped, they are not evaluated as 4 or 5-star in their own right.
This flexibility would exist for all years of the programme. Such females will retain this ‘SCEP eligible’ status where they are traded to another SCEP herd. If, however they are traded to a non-SCEP herd, they will lose this ‘SCEP eligible’ status.
The minister commented: “I have listened to feedback from stakeholders in recent months and I believe the flexibility I am announcing provides assurance to SCEP participants that they will not be negatively impacted by the evaluation index changes which were implemented in November 2023.”
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has also advised SCEP participants that they can now amend their 2024 yearly reference number through their Agfood account.
This facilitates famers who wish to alter their commitments under the programme requirements to meet their individual needs or changing circumstances. The window to amend 2024 yearly reference numbers is open until 23.59p.m on February 19.
Any changes made to the 2024 reference number (either increases or decreases) will have an associated impact on the requirements/actions to be carried out by the participants and on the maximum payment that the participant will be eligible to draw down later in 2024.
Once an application to amend the 2024 yearly reference number is submitted online, no amendments can be made.