2024 Beef Welfare Scheme application deadline approaches

Farmers wishing to apply to the 2024 Beef Welfare Scheme, a programme which incentivises meal feeding pre and post weaning and the vaccination of suckler calves, have just two weeks left to submit their applications.

All suckler farmers who have eligible calves born on their holdings between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024 are eligible to apply for this scheme, with the final date for the acceptance of applications being September 24 2024 at 23.59. 

This 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).

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

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.

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.

Full terms and conditions of this scheme are available to view on the DAFM webpage