Suckler herd payments from next September

PAYMENTS will begin to flow to farmers in September 2008 from the new Animal Welfare Recording and Breeding Scheme for Suckler Herds.

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.