13 MAY 2020
ICSA Suckler chair Ger O’Brien has urged farmers not to miss out on the new and improved BEEP-S scheme, and to get their completed applications in before Friday’s deadline (15 May). “Applying is simple; once you log in to your AgFood account the whole process should take a few minutes at most. A hard won extra €35m was pumped into the scheme in last year’s budget, so all suckler farmers need to get on board and secure this payment for their farms,” he said.
“The mandatory component of the scheme involves weighing cows and calves and will provide a payment of €50 per cow/calf for the first 10, and €40 each for the remainder. Through the optional actions, an additional €30 is available for either a pre-weaning meal feeding programme or for vaccinating stock. On top of this, another €10 is available for doing faecal egg testing on dung samples.”
“Suckler farmers who complete all the mandatory and optional actions under the scheme can therefore receive a total payment of €90 per cow for the first 10 cows and €80 for the remainder, up to a limit of 100 cows.”
“All in all, the measures required are sensible ones, and ones that will lead to less stress for calves at weaning time which in turn will benefit buyers, including Irish finishers and live exporters. Taking samples will also assist in ensuring that dosing is much more targeted and will help counteract immunity from dosing products.”
Concluding Mr O’Brien said, “In the face of relentless bad news, this is a scheme not to be missed.”
ENDS
