The Bord Bia quality assurance deadline under the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) has now been extended until January 2024 for all applications made by October.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) confirmed that participants must submit an application to Bord Bia by October 16, but now have until January 22, 2024 to become certified.
Previously, farmers were required to have applied and become a certified SBLAS member by October 16, 2023. However, this certification period has now been extended.
SCEP
One of the SCEP eligibility conditions is that participants must be certified members of the Bord Bia Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme (SBLAS) for the duration of the programme.
Any participant who is not currently a member of SBLAS must contact Bord Bia to apply to join SBLAS and they should do so as a matter of urgency, the DAFM said.
Any participant who does not contact Bord Bia and submit an application to join SBLAS by October 16, will be removed from SCEP and will receive no payment under the programme.
Participants who do submit an application but will not be certified by October 16, will not receive a 2023 SCEP payment until Bord Bia confirms to the DAFM that they are certified by January 22.
Any participants who are not certified SBLAS members by the extended January deadline will be removed from SCEP and will receive no payment under the programme.
Impacted SCEP participants have received a letter by the DAFM advising them of this adjustment this week.