BEEP-S replacement scheme must deliver 'critical support' of €90 per cow 

The SCEP was an "important first step" in supporting suckler farmers - but must now be built on with the announcement of a BEEP-S replacement, the IFA said.

The socioeconomic contribution suckler farming makes to rural communities throughout the country, and the environmental rewards, "must all be valued and protected", the IFA has said.

The replacement scheme to the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme - Suckler (BEEP-S) scheme must deliver "critical support" of €90 per cow for all cows, the Irish Farmers' Association has stressed.

Livestock chair Brendan Golden said that the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) - which opened for applications this week - is "an important first step" in support of suckler farmers.

Mr Golden said that "it is vital that everybody is facilitated in participating, and receives the full payment rates for all of their reference number of cows".

However, he said this scheme is only one part of the support promised to suckler farmers by the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue, with the replacement scheme for BEEP-S still to be put in place.

"We must now see the minister’s proposals for this scheme and the measures within it must have the ambition to return €90/cow for all cows," Mr Golden said.

"A fully-funded BEEP-S with €90 per cow, along with the SCEP scheme, has the potential to return €240 per cow on the first 22 cows on suckler farms. 

"This would be a critical support for the sector to help arrest the decline in suckler cow numbers and support this low-income vulnerable sector from the input cost volatility which the sector cannot absorb."

Mr Golden added that the socioeconomic contribution suckler farming makes to rural communities throughout the country, and the environmental rewards, "must all be valued and protected".