The new Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) is officially open to applications from farmers.

The scheme opened for applications on Monday (March 20), and will close on Monday, May 22, 2023.

The following article contains some of the key dates farmers should keep in mind if applying for the scheme.

Key dates

Applicants to SCEP must be Bord Bia Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme (SBLAS) members before October 16, 2023 and remain SBLAS members for the duration of the scheme.

Members of the new suckler scheme must have attended a SCEP training course and an animal handling course before November 15, 2024.

Genomic samples for the scheme will not be accepted after November 30, of each scheme year.

Calf weights must be submitted within seven days of weighing and no later than November 1, annually.

Calves must be a minimum of 50-days-old before weighing and if a calf or its dam dies before the calf is five-months-old, the pair does not count towards the 80% of the eligible number of animals on the holding that must be weighed.

The closing date for submission of data recorded for Commitment 1 (calf sire, calving ease, birth size and calf vigour) and Commitment 2 (calf quality, calf docility, dam docility, dam milk-ability, dam mothering ability, dam feet and legs, dam teat score, dam udder score and dam departure reason) is February 15, annually.

Second suckler scheme

Earlier this week, Agriland reported that details on a second suckler scheme to compliment SCEP and replace the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme – Sucklers (BEEP-S) scheme is expected to be announced in the coming six weeks.

Previously, BEEP-S paid suckler farmers for weighing suckler cows and calves, however this measure has now been incorporated into SCEP

The SCEP is the replacement for the Beef Data Genomics Programme (BDGP) and will pay participating farmers €150/cow on the first 22 cows and €120/cow on subsequent cows.

The new scheme to replace BEEP-S will have a different title and Agriland understands that approximately €30 million has been set aside in Budget 2023 for the BEEP-S replacement scheme.

The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) Livestock chairperson Brendan Golden has called on Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue to deliver a payment of €90/cow under a new scheme for suckler farmers.

There are no final details available as yet on how the replacement for the BEEP-S will look, but it is expected the new scheme will include similar measures to BEEP-S minus the weighing element.