The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue is being urged to address what is described as an “anomaly” in the new Beef Welfare Scheme (BWS).
Earlier today, his department confirmed that the new €20 million scheme for suckler farmers will open for applications in early August.
The focus of the 2024 BWS will be “on practical measures to enhance animal health and husbandry on suckler farms”.
However, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has said that the conditions of the scheme, announced today, effectively mean autumn-born weanlings are “frozen out”.
Beef Welfare Scheme anomaly
The scheme is aimed at supporting farmers in meal feeding suckler calves before and after weaning, and in vaccinating against clostridial diseases and calf pneumonia.
The department has said that the meal feeding action is mandatory for all scheme participants.
Farmers must indicate that they are selecting the optional vaccination action at application stage if they wish to be considered for payment under this action.
Farmers can then decide during the implementation phase, where appropriate in consultation with their veterinary surgeon, which disease they wish to target depending on the health status of their herds.
IFA Livestock Committee chair Declan Hanrahan said “serious” issues must be addressed before the scheme opens.
Hanrahan said suckler farmers needed to know if the intention was to run the scheme for calves born between July 2023 to June 2024, and the measures required.
He added that autumn-2023-born calves have now been sold and the opportunity to carry out the actions has passed.
“The minister has only today confirmed for the first time the measures required – meal feeding and vaccination of calves born in the reference period,” he stated.
“This is unacceptable and must be revisited before the scheme opens in August. In particular, farmers with autumn-born weanlings were not provided with any clarification of the measures required to qualify, and as such are effectively frozen out.
“The minister cannot stand over a situation where he provides details of a scheme requiring actions on farm when the animals are gone,” he said.
The IFA livestock chair cited the inclusion of the maximum number of animals eligible for payment in the scheme as a serious issue for suckler farmers.
“While the vast majority of suckler farmers have fewer than 40 cows, those with more than 40 cows and who are heavily dependent on the income from their suckler herd cannot be penalised. All suckler cows should qualify for the measures carried out.”
Hanrahan stressed the 2024 Beef Welfare Scheme is a vital support for suckler farmers.
“It’s important all suckler farmers are provided with the opportunity to participate, and to receive payment on all suckler cows in their herds.”