Beef Finisher Payment applications will close on Wednesday, September 9

Terms and conditions for the €50m BFP scheme

For beef animals slaughtered within 30 days of purchase, the previous herdowner may qualify for the Beef Finisher Payment.

Beef farmers who didn’t send animals directly for slaughter, but sold animals close to finish, privately or through the marts, should check to see if they are entitled to the new Beef Finisher Payment (BFP).

This can be checked on the www.agfood.ie website.

For animals presented for slaughter by an agent, dealer, or another herdowner, within 30 days of purchase, including those purchased in the mart, payment may go to the previous herdowner, provided they had the animal for more than 30 days.

Applications close on Wednesday, September 9, for the €50m BFP scheme.

It is a one-off, exchequer-funded grant aid scheme to support beef finishers in Ireland severely impacted by the Covid 19 pandemic.

Teagasc Beef Specialist Aidan Murray says all applications must be completed online, using your Agfood account.

If you are not registered online, you can go to www.agfood.ie to register.

You may apply online yourself, or if you have given authorisation to your adviser/consultant, they may apply on your behalf, provided you instruct them to do so.

If applying yourself, once you go into your Agfood account, along the left-hand side of the screen you need to click on Exceptional Aid Measures, and you can then proceed to submit your application.

At the time of application, your number of eligible animals for payment will appear on the screen, so you will have some idea of what payment you might receive.

Eligibility criteria

An eligible animal is deemed to be one over eight months old when presented for slaughter to an approved slaughtering plant in Ireland between February 1 and June 12 (inclusive) this year.

Animals that went for slaughter in Northern Ireland during this period will not be deemed eligible.

As it currently stands, the proposed rate of payment will be €100 per head.

Applicants must be aged 18 or over at the time of application

You must hold an active herd number with herd owner status (“herd keeper” is not acceptable).

You must have submitted a valid BPS application in 2020, or submit one before September 30, 2020.

You need to be a member of the Bord Bia Quality assurance scheme at the time of application, or apply to become a member before September 30, 2020.

You will also be required to maintain this membership on a continuous basis until September 30, 2021.

Applying herds cannot be deemed as dealer or agent status.

There is a maximum number of eligible animals per individual herd of 100 animals.

Farm partnerships are also eligible to apply, provided the application is made under the same Registered Farm Partnership (RFP) number as the BPS application for 2020, and is signed by each partner.

A maximum threshold of 200 animals will apply to RFP of two herds.

A maximum threshold of 300 animals will apply to an RFP of three or more herds.

The BFP is the second scheme under Exceptional Aid Measures, following on from the BEAM scheme launched in August, 2019.

BFP, however, does not require you to reduce organic nitrogen by 5%, which was a requirement under BEAM.

Similarly, BFP does not require you to be in any environmental programme such as BDGP, GLAS, BEEP etc, as was the case in BEAM.

As in BEAM, if DAFM systems identify that cattle slaughtered in the reference period are presented for slaughter by or on behalf of a slaughtering establishment, these animals will not be eligible for payment.

It is envisaged that payments for BFP will commence around mid-November, 2020.

IFA National Livestock Chairman Brendan Golden has encouraged farmers to apply for the BFP scheme without delay.

IFA has created a step-by-step guide for farmers who wish to apply for the scheme.

Mr Golden said it will be a significant boost for the autumn cattle trade.

If farmers have any queries in relation to the scheme, they can contact Anna Daly on [e-mail] or by calling 01-4260340.