The National Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme (NDBWS) which last operated in 2023 is returning in 2025 with a fund of €4m allocated from national exchequer funding.

The scheme will operate in the same manner as the last with farmers paid €20 per eligible calf in return for weight recording and submission of weights to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF). The maximum payment for an individual herd is for up to 50 calves or a total payment of €1,000 per herd. Partnerships are also eligible to participate.

The scheme is open immediately for applications and will close at 23.59pm on 15 May 2025.

There is a 25-day period after 15 May deadline for the submission of late applications and any necessary documentation.

This however will be subject of a 1% penalty with applications deemed ineligible after this period.

Submitting applications

Applications can only be submitted online via the Department’s agfood.ie portal, either by an applicant or by an approved Farm Advisory System (FAS) adviser authorised to act on their behalf. Herds must weigh a minimum of five eligible calves in order to qualify for payment. The Department highlights that all weights should be submitted within seven days of weighing and no later than 5.30pm on 01 November 2025.

The final year of the scheme in 2023 was the most popular with funds worth €5.3m paid to 8,402 farmers.

This provided a support payment and collected weight data on approximately 265,000 calves, with the funding allocation for 2025 covering about 200,000 head.

The terms and conditions state that in the event that the scheme is oversubscribed then a reduction on the maximum number of animals eligible for payment may be applied.

Eligible calves

Dairy and non-dairy herds rearing calves can apply. The Department define an eligible calf as follows:

  • Was born between 01 July 2024 and 30 June 2025.
  • Is a male calf of a dairy breed, and/or a male or female calf sired by a beef breed sire born to a dairy breed dam.
  • Is at least 12 weeks of age at the time of weighing and has been registered on the holding s/he is being weighed on for a minimum of 10 days prior to the date of weighing.
  • Is in the ownership and possession of the applicant and maintained on the holding.
  • Is alive at the time of weighing.
  • Has been tagged and registered within 27 days of birth in accordance with EU Regulation 1760/2000. Failure to register a calf within 27 days of birth will result in the animal being ineligible for payment.

    • Greater integration

    In announcing the scheme, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon said: “To further encourage greater integration of the dairy and beef sectors, Budget 2025 provided additional support to secure progress in this area. This scheme will target farmers rearing dairy beef progeny from the dairy herd, whether they are dairy farmers rearing their own calves or non-dairy farmers rearing dairy beef calves. A successful dairy beef strategy will improve the resilience of the sector to future shocks, with additional benefits for calf health and welfare.”

    There is one mandatory action in the scheme - weighing and submission of weights to ICBF.