The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has commenced issuing BEEP-S and Dairy-Scheme payments to farmers.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue made the announcement earlier this afternoon (Wednesday, December 8th, 2021).
He confirmed that the department will pay out €42 million to over 30,000 farmers.
In a statement, the minister said:
“I am delighted to confirm that payments have now commenced under BEEP-S and Dairy-Beef, building on the range of support schemes available for beef farmers.”
He said the BEEP-S scheme helps increase the suckler herd’s economic and environmental efficiency through “an improvement” in the quantity and quality of performance data collection.
The scheme aims to support the adoption of best practice and more informed decision-making at farm level.
The BEEP-S programme targeted the weaning efficiency of suckler cows and calves, measuring the live weight of the calf at weaning as a percentage of the cow’s live weight.
The DAFM also encouraged participants to implement several optional health and welfare measures.
These included:
- Pre-weaning meal feeding;
- Vaccination programmes;
- Faecal testing.
Dairy-Beef Scheme
Meanwhile, he said the Dairy-Beef Scheme helps to increase the economic and environmental efficiency of beef from the dairy herd.
Furthermore, he added that it facilitates further the integration of the dairy and beef sectors by providing support for farmers rearing progeny from the dairy herd.
The core action for Dairy-Beef Scheme was weighing eligible calves. The payment rate was €20 per calf up to a maximum of 20 calves.
‘Critical’ payments in Budget 2022
In concluding, the minister said: “I am acutely aware of the importance of payments under these schemes for the beef sector.”
“The processing of such payments at the earliest possible opportunity remains a key priority for my department.”
“I have secured these critical payments for next year as part of Budget 2022. It underlines my ongoing commitment to the beef and suckler sectors,” he concluded.
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