Farmers who are participating in the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) and who have not met the requirement of 50% of their yearly reference number of eligible females that are genotyped 4- or 5-stars on October 31, have been offered a second date to meet the requirement.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) confirmed to Agriland: “For the 2023 scheme year only, participants in SCEP who have not met this requirement on October 31, 2023, will be reassessed on November 24, 2023 to determine if they have met the requirement of at least 50% eligible females in their herd on that date.”
According to DAFM, the November 24, 2023 date will only apply to participants under the following conditions:
- If their herd is short on October 31, 2023 to meet the requirement and they have submitted sufficient genomic samples to the lab on, or by, October 31, 2023. Sufficient genomic samples must be returned on females to meet the requirement. E.g., if four females are required but only two female genomic samples are returned to the lab by October 31, 2023, then the participant would not meet the eligibility to have date changed from October 31, 2023 to November 24, 2023;
- October 31, 2023, or November 24, 2023 will be used to determine eligibility. An aggregate of the two dates cannot be used;
- Where the participant is being assessed on the November 24, 2023 date, they must have at least 50% of eligible females in the herd on November 24, 2023;
- Females can only be counted in one herd for 2023 scheme year. E.g., it cannot be counted in one herd on October 31, 2023 and in another herd on November 24, 2023. It is the responsibility of the participant to ensure that they are buying from another herd’s surplus.
According to DAFM, the initial scheme requirements had stated that participants in SCEP are required to ensure that on October 31, 2023 at least 50% of their yearly reference number are:
- Eligible females that are genotyped 4- or 5-stars on the replacement index (within breed or across breed basis) at the time of purchase (for replacements brought into the herd) or, at the time of genotyping (for those replacements bred within the herd).
DAFM emphasised that the second date option will apply only for the 2023 scheme year.
The 50% requirement increases to at least 65% on October 31, 2025 and to at least 75% on October 31, 2027.
Females must be at least 16-months-old to be eligible for the SCEP measure.