IFA national livestock chairman, Brendan Golden, has strongly encouraged suckler farmers to apply for the new €90 per cow suckler BEEP scheme.
“BEEP-S is a new and very positive scheme, worth €90 per cow on the first 10 cows and €80 per cow on the remainder up to a maximum of 100. It’s a follow on from last year’s BEEP scheme.”
“IFA has campaigned strongly to deliver more supports for sucklers and lobbied very hard in the last Budget, where an additional €35m in national funding was secured for the new scheme in 2020. It’s vital that there is a strong uptake from suckler farmers.”
Golden said farmers must apply online for the scheme and the closing date for applications is May 15th, 2020.
He called on the Department of Agriculture, Teagasc and private advisors to encourage suckler farmers to apply for the scheme.
“The suckler cow is the backbone of Ireland’s quality €3bn beef sector and is crucial to the survival of rural Ireland, particularly in the west, where 80% of the cows are sucklers.”
“IFA is determined to build on the supports now in place to ensure we have a targeted suckler payment of €300 per cow in the future,” he said.
Payment breakdown
Suckler cow farmers, who complete all of the mandatory and optional actions under the scheme, will receive payment of €90 per cow on the first 10 cows and €80 on the remainder, up to a limit of 100 cows.
The weighing aspect of the scheme is mandatory and will involve a payment of €50 per cow/calf on the first 10 and €40 on the remainder.
An additional €30 will be paid for an animal welfare action, with an option of a pre-weaning meal feeding programme or vaccination.
Another €10 is available for a faecal egg testing programme.
