Suckler herd payments from next September
The annual payment of €80 per cow, or €82 if herd records are submitted on-line by computer, will continue to roll out monthly, as additional animals become eligible over the five-year lifetime of the scheme.
Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan launched the scheme last week and said she was confident it would also improve the quality of Irish beef, from which more suckler farmers would reap the price benefit.
Pre-printed application forms and information packs are being issued to all suckler farmers.
Payments will be made for all suckler cows calving from January 1, and Ms Coughlan emphasised the importance of submitting completed application forms before suckler cows calve in 2008. The closing date for applications will be March 31.
Participants must follow best practice in animal welfare and breeding, and return detailed cow information to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation. Collection of this data — such as sire details, ease of calving and quality of each suckler calf — will provide greater potential to improve the genetic quality of Irish beef cattle.
Participants must also attend a suitable training course before reaching the end of their second year in the scheme unless they are aged under 35 and hold appropriate qualifications.
At nationwide public information meetings starting in early January officials will be available to deal with queries on the new scheme from suckler farmers.
Meanwhile, IFA National Livestock Committee Chairman John Bryan emphasised farmers who fail to apply in 2008 before March 31 will not have another opportunity. He said the application form is extremely simple and only requires the applicant to sign their name, date the form, and return it to the department.
Payments would commence when the first group of animals have been properly weaned.
