Nearly one in five yet to submit SCEP weights
Farmers participating in the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) are reminded that the final date to submit weights to ICBF as part of the programme’s weighing element – a measure worth 20% of the SCEP Payment – is November 1.
On October 24, the ICBF released figures showing the weighing progress of herds participating in SCEP. It noted that currently 81% of SCEP participants have some animals weighed. However, just over 3,000 herds are still yet to record weights, meaning that 275,192 eligible pairs have been weighed across 13,500 herds.
Participants are reminded of the following when completing the weighing requirement:
- Each live calf must be unweaned and weighed with its dam on the applicants holding on the same day;
- Where a calf dies before five months of age or its dam, this must be recorded on AIM and the 80% does not include such a pair;
- All calves being submitted for weighing must have been born in the herd within each scheme year;
- All calves being submitted for weighing must be eligible for the scheme. They must be out a suckler dam and sired by a beef bull;
- All calves being submitted for weighing must be in the ownership and possession of the applicant since birth and maintained on the holding;
- The calf must be a minimum of 50 days old before it is eligible to be weighed;
- Weights should be submitted within seven days of weighing and no later than 1 November annually. These weights can be submitted online to ICBF or posted to ICBF if recorded in paper format.
Also read: Staying SCEP compliant to maximise your payments
Diary date – Teagasc National Beef Conference
The Teagasc National Beef Conference 2024 takes place on Tuesday, 19 November at 5pm in the Landmark Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim, N41 N9W4.
The theme of the conference is 'Sustainable Beef Farming: Pathways to a greener future'