The Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme – Sucklers (BEEP-S) under the new Beef Sector Efficiency Pilot for 2021 has opened today (Tuesday, March 16).

Applications for the scheme can be lodged through agfood.ie with the closing date on Monday April 26.

BEEP-S has a funding provision of €40 million in 2021 and targets the weaning efficiency of suckler cows and calves by measuring the live weight of the calf at weaning as a percentage of the cow’s live weight.

In recognition of the crucial role of animal health and welfare in economic and environmental efficiency, applicants to the scheme can also select from a number of optional health and welfare measures including meal feeding or vaccination of weanlings and/or faecal egg testing of suckler cows.

Under BEEP–S, participants may be eligible for up to €90 for the first 10 suckler cow/calf pairs per herd and up to €80 per pair thereafter subject to an overall maximum of 100 pairs per herd, if all actions under the scheme are applied for and completed in full in accordance with the scheme terms and conditions.

Similar to last year’s scheme, farmer participants have mandatory actions worth €50 for the first 10 weanling/cow pairings and €40 thereafter from 11 up to 100 weanlings.

Two optional actions are also available: vaccination or meal feeding at weaning, worth €30 per pairing; and faecal egg testing, worth €10 per pairing.

It was noted that, though the scheme will be funded by the Irish exchequer, details of the scheme have been notified to the European Commission in accordance with the Covid-19 Temporary State Aid Framework.

Applications must be done online at agfood.ie and to ensure their application is actually submitted, rather than having a status as a “draft application” on agfood.ie.

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BEEP-S DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE