Latest figures from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) show that the number of suckler-bred calf births in Ireland has fallen by over 51,500 head to date, this year.
As of Friday, October 20 of this year, a total of 703,026 calves had been registered to beef-breed dams.
This figure is 51,622 head below the number of suckler-bred calves that had been registered in the same time period of 2022 (754,658).
Alternatively, the total number of calves registered to dairy cows as of October 20, has increased on the same time period last year.
Over 1.5 million calves (1,551,924) were registered to dairy-bred dams as of October 20 this year, up 18,969 head on the same time period last year.
Despite the increase in calves registered to the dairy herd to date, this year, the overall number of calves registered in Ireland as of October 20 of this year is 2,254,960, which is 32,653 head below the same time period of 2022.
Suckler farmers removed from SCEP
The substantial fall in suckler calf registrations this year comes following last week’s news that over 1,400 suckler farmers will be removed from the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP).
These farmers will be removed from the suckler cow scheme as they have failed to apply to Bord Bia for Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme (SBLAS) approval before the extended deadline date of Monday, October 16.
SCEP applicants who submitted an application to Bord Bia before October 16, will have until January 22, 2024, to become certified.
Responding to a query from Agriland the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) said: “There are 1,469 SCEP participants who failed to apply to Bord Bia for SBLAS membership or have applied and subsequently cancelled their SBLAS application by October 16, 2023.
“These participants will be removed from SCEP and no payment will issue for 2023 or subsequent years.”
A further extension to this was advised to participants in early October 2023, advising that participants who are not yet certified but who submit an SBLAS application by October 16, 2023 will remain in the scheme, subject to SBLAS certification being awarded by January 22, 2024.
Participants who fall into this category will not receive a 2023 SCEP payment until Bord Bia confirms to the department that they are certified under SBLAS.