Minister McConalogue confirms opening of €20 million scheme for suckler farmers

DONEGAL minister, Charlie McConalogue, has confirmed that the 2024 Beef Welfare Scheme announced last month is open for applications.

The Beef Welfare Scheme 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).

As the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine previously indicated, all suckler farmers who have eligible calves born on their holdings between July 1 2023 and June 30 2024 are eligible to apply for the scheme.

Commenting on the opening of the scheme, the Minister McConalogue reaffirmed his support for the suckler sector.

“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,” he said.

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. 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,” the Donegal minister added.

Applications must be lodged online through agfood.ie with a closing date of 24 September 2024.

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 (SCEP) will be eligible to earn €200 per cow/calf pair for the first 22 pairs.

“This scheme is worth €20 million to suckler farmers. I would encourage all eligible farmers to check the terms and conditions and submit their applications on time. Coupled with the SCEP, these supports will help safeguard the future of suckler beef production,” Minister McConalogue added.

Full terms and conditions of the scheme are available here.

Suckler farmers can simultaneously participate in both this scheme and the five-year Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP).

Participants are reminded to retain copies of the receipts for the meal feeding and for vaccination where they select this action too. Where requested by the Department, they should submit these to the Department to allow their payment to be processed.

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