€20m scheme for suckler farmers opens
Charlie McConalogue, Minister for Agriculture, Marine and Food on the suckler farm of Raymond Palmer, Castlefinn, Co Donegal. Picture: Clive Wasson
The 2024 Beef Welfare Scheme is now open for applications.
The Beef Welfare Scheme, worth €20m, will support farmers in meal feeding suckler calves before and after weaning, and in vaccinating against clostridial diseases and/or calf pneumonia.
Meal feeding will be paid at a rate of €35 per eligible calf with vaccination paid at a rate of €15 per eligible calf up to a maximum of 40 calves.
Farmers who select and complete both scheme actions will be paid €50 per calf subject to a maximum overall payment of €2,000 (40 calves).
All suckler farmers who have eligible calves born on their holdings between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, are eligible to apply for this scheme.
Commenting on the opening of the scheme, Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue said: “Suckler farming is the backbone of our beef industry.
"This exchequer-funded scheme will promote best practice in calf nutrition and herd health. Both scheme measures will act to optimise animal performance throughout its lifetime.”
The meal-feeding action is mandatory for scheme participants and farmers must indicate at application stage if they wish to be considered for payment for completing the vaccination action.
Farmers will have the option at application stage to select a lower number of animals for the vaccination action than for the meal feeding action if they so wish.
“The additional flexibility on calf numbers for farmers undertaking the vaccination action will maximise the benefits of the scheme for farmers with different types of suckler production systems," Mr McConalogue continued.
"Participants in the scheme who opt to select vaccination at application stage can vaccinate for one or both diseases depending on the health status of their herds.”
Applications must be lodged online, with a closing date of September 24.
There is no facility for late applications, so that payments to participants who have passed all the necessary validation checks can commence in December 2024.
Farmers who take part in the Beef Welfare Scheme as well as the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme will be eligible to earn €200 per cow/calf pair for the first 22 pairs.
