Sheep Schemes 2024

By Glen Corbett, B&T Drystock Adviser, Teagasc Galway/Clare

With so many schemes now available to farmers, it is no harm sometimes to take stock of what schemes you have applied for and what are the requirements/options you have signed up to for each one. For the sheep sector, there are two main schemes currently running, they are the Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) and the National Sheep Welfare Scheme (NSWS). SIS is a multi- year scheme and was opened in late 2022 for applications, Year 1 was 2023 and we are currently in Year 2, which runs as per the calendar year from 1^st January 2024 to 31^st December 2024. On the other hand, NSWS is a one year scheme, ie 2024. The 2 schemes together when maximised are worth €20 per ewe and I will cover the breakdown of the payments later in this article.

Sheep Improvement Scheme:

The Sheep Improvement Scheme provides financial support to farmers for taking extra steps to improve the welfare of their flock. Farmers get €12 per breeding ewe for completing flock welfare measures. Each applicant should know their own reference number. Where the number of eligible breeding ewes reduces below the reference number, an applicant must immediately inform the Department of this in writing (or by email) or get your advisor to do this for you.

You must complete two welfare measures to qualify for payment, (see table below) whereby each applicant has chosen one measure from Category A and one measure from Category B. Along with this it will also be necessary to complete the Genotyped Ram action at least once within the first three years of scheme participation. If you have a reference number of breeding ewes of 150 breeding ewes or less, you will only need to complete the Genotyped Ram action once. If you have a reference number greater than 150, you will have to complete the Genotyped Ram action twice over the lifetime of the scheme, once within the first three years of the scheme and once in any subsequent scheme year. Like the reference number you should know what year you have declared you will purchase this genotyped ram. Note that there is a difference in actions depending on if you have a lowland or hill flock.

Genotyped Ram:

For those going out around now to source a genotyped ram for Year 2 and it is advised not to leave it until the last minute, there are some issues to be aware of. For Lowland flocks the ram must be four or five star on the Replacement or Terminal Index and have a genomic evaluation with Sheep Ireland at the time of purchase, and be a type one, two or three for Scrapie. No type 4 or 5 scrapie genotyped rams will qualify.

In the year, or years, chosen by the applicant to carry out the Genotyped Ram action, this action will replace the standard Category B action chosen by the applicant at the time of application. They will revert to the standard action B in the following year following completion of the Genotype Ram action.

You may be required to submit evidence that you successfully completed the genotype task (dispatch docket etc). At a sale the catalogue will tell you if the ram is SIS compliant. If purchasing direct from farm you can put the ram EID tag number into ram search (www.ramsearch.ie) to check he is SIS eligible on date of purchase.

National Sheep Welfare Scheme:

This Scheme is a one-year Scheme aimed at assisting farmers to produce better quality animals and implement practical animal welfare measures on their farms. NSWS measures are additional to those in the Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS). Payment will be per eligible breeding ewe and payment for full Scheme compliance will be €8 per ewe, (€4 per ewe per action completed).

Like SIS, you should know your reference number, they may or may not be the same for the 2 schemes. NSWS Scheme will run from 01 January 2024 to 31 December 2024, however actions selected must be completed by the 15 October 2024. Reductions in payment will apply where not all actions are completed. See table below for NSWS. Applicants choose one action from Category A and one Action from Category B.

Take Home Message:

I would recommend every applicant get a folder and mark it Sheep Scheme(s). Make note of your 2 ref numbers on it. Put all dockets relating to SIS and SWS in there, including shearer receipts, evidence of ram purchase, maybe your annual census as well and also your Record Books for these schemes. You must maintain all receipts, documentation and other evidence to prove compliance with scheme actions for the duration of participation in the schemes plus one year.

The two actions chosen when applying to join the SIS must be adhered to by the applicant for the full duration of the scheme. It is therefore not possible to change actions once chosen, except in exceptional or duly justified cases.