Farmers reminded of upcoming deadline to join Bord Bia as part of suckler scheme
The new €260m Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) targets bovine emissions through enhanced use of genetics, genomics, and performance metrics.
Farmers have been issued an "urgent reminder" that the deadline for joining Bord Bia as part of their requirements in the new suckler scheme is fast approaching.
The new €260m Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) targets bovine emissions through enhanced use of genetics, genomics, and performance metrics.
It closed for applications in May, by which over 20,000 farmers had made a submission.
However, one of the eligibility conditions of the scheme is that participants must also become certified members of the Bord Bia Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme (SBLAS) by October 16, 2023.
Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) livestock chairman Des Morrison said that if a farmer wishes to be paid under the SCEP, it is vital that they have applied for participation in SBLAS as soon as possible, given that acceptance into the Bord Bia scheme is a condition.
"ICMSA understands that around 3,000 farmers who applied for SCEP have yet to apply for participation in SBLAS and it is essential that they do so as soon as possible," Mr Morrison said.Â
"Given the short timeframe to October 16, ICMSA has asked the department to change the conditions of the scheme to having applied for participation in SBLAS as opposed to having been certified by October 16.Â
"We hope that the department would take this reasonable proposal on board. If a farmer has applied for participation, we feel that should be sufficient to ensure that his or her application remains valid and they therefore will qualify to receive payment."
The suckler scheme aims to provide support to beef farmers to improve the environmental sustainability of the national beef herd.
The scheme is structured around four mandatory actions which must be undertaken by participants in each year of the scheme.
These actions relate to the replacement strategy for both dams and sires, genotyping, weighing of suckler cow/calf pairs, and data recording.
The SCEP rewards participant farmers with a payment equivalent to €150 per cow on the first 22 cows and €120 per cow on subsequent cows.
