A reformed suckler scheme which is expected to have no upper limit on the number of weanlings/herd that will be eligible for payment is expected to be rolled out this July.
Agriland understands the scheme will offer suckler farmers a payment of €50/weanling and the new scheme – which is still at the negotiation stage and has yet to be given a title – will replace the National Beef Welfare Scheme (NBWS).
The NBWS was rolled out last year but had an upper limit of 40 calves.
Testing for the presence of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) in herds was one of the measures in the previous NBWS, however this measure is expected to be scrapped for the new €50/cow scheme this year.
The scheme is expected to be available for all suckler-bred calves born between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.
Under the scheme, it is envisaged that a payment of €35/eligible calf will be available for a meal feeding measure, and an additional €15/eligible calf will be available for a vaccination measure.
As well as the €50/weanling payment, an optional add-on of €400/herd is expected to be offered to assist suckler farmers in developing herd health plans.
Before the details of the new scheme can be finalised, it will have to be approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
Over €14.2 million was paid to the 15,834 suckler farmers who participated in the NBWS in 2023.
Collapse in suckler cow numbers
While any details of financial support will be positive news for farmers, the huge decline in the number of suckler-bred calves born in Ireland appears to be continuing.
According to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), the number of suckler bred calves registered in 2023 fell by over 60,000 head.
As of Friday, December 29, 2023, just over 754,600 suckler bred calves had been registered compared to just under 815,000 head registered in 2022.
A similar trend of declining registrations of suckler bred calves has also been seen in the opening few weeks of this year.