Beef Newsletter - September 2023

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In this month's edition:

• National Beef Welfare Scheme
  If you are not already signed up to the National Beef Welfare Scheme (NBWS), you have up to midnight on September 12 to do so. The application is online via the agfood.ie website and can be completed by the farmer or their approved advisor. This is a one-year scheme and it partly replaces the old Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme – Sucklers (BEEP-S) scheme.
• Research update - Finishing suckler bulls and steers
  Paul Crosson, Aidan Moloney, Edward O’Riordan and Mark McGee of Teagasc Grange, report on the pasture finishing of late-maturing suckler bulls and steers in Ireland. To permit a comparison of bulls and steers on grazing-based systems, a study was carried out at Teagasc Grange using 60 spring-born suckler male weanlings. Cattle were finished at pasture in mid October (19.5 months of age) as steers or bulls with half of each gender supplemented with 4kg concentrate for the final three months.
• 12 steps to reducing emissions
  Over 12 months, the Teagasc advisory newsletters will outline one action per month farmers can take to reduce their emissions. This month the focus is on step 9 increase cow output/cow.
• Health and Safety - Deadline for National Farm Safety Measure: September 29
  If you need new power take-off (PTO) shaft covers or ATV helmets, don’t miss out on funding from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) to cover 60% of the eligible cost. The measure will cover up to two quad bike/ATV helmets and four PTO shaft covers. The grant aid is subject to a maximum eligible cost of €100 per PTO shaft cover and €150 per quad bike helmet.