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August 13, 2024

Beef Welfare Scheme now open

August 13, 2024 - Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue TD, recently 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 €2000 (40 calves).

As the Minister previously confirmed, 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, the Minister 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."

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 Minister commented that: "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."

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.

Concluding, Minister McConalogue said: "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."

For more information, visit HERE.

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.

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