The Department of Agriculture will begin issuing acceptance letters in the coming days to farmers who applied to the Cap Strategic Plan (CSP) Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme (DBWS).
As reported last week, a total of 13,541 farmers applied to join the scheme in 2024.
If all applicants follow through and are eligible to draw down the maximum payment of €1,000/herd (50 calves @€20/head), it means that additional funding will be required or the payment per herd will be reduced.
In previous years there was a significant variance between the number of applicants to the previous Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme and completion of the mandatory task.
The Department of Agriculture is also notifying applicants and advisers of an update to the terms and conditions and, in particular, to a new rewording regarding genotyping of stock bulls. This is detailed on page 10 of the terms and conditions.
The revised text reads as follows: “Stock bulls must have a genomic evaluation within the scheme year for calves born in that year to be considered for payment, eg scheme year one (calves born between 01 January 2024 and 31 December 2024) sires must have a genomic evaluation no later than 31 December 2024.
“For stock bulls, the star rating will be based on the evaluation at the time of purchase by the applicant, once the bull is retained on the holding of that applicant.”
The ICBF bull search facility is a good aid to determine sire eligibility.
In the animal search facility, type in the bull AI code or tag number and click search. This will either present an option to select the terminal index or dairy beef index.
On the dairy beef index, there is a tab ‘dairy beef eligibility’ and this will denote eligibility for the scheme.
Scheme queries can be directed to the helpdesk at 057-8674422, or by email at dairybeef@agriculture.gov.ie
SCEP online training
The Department of Agriculture recently released a reminder text to all farmers participating in the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP), reminding them of the requirement to complete mandatory training by the deadline of 15 November 2024. The Irish Farmers Journal understands that uptake of online training has been positive to date, with over 1,200 applicants fully completing training and almost another 1,000 well on their way to completing it. Remember, training modules can be completed at an applicant’s own convenience at any time of the day and done in stages.
The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) also circulated a text message to SCEP participants this week, who had opted to delay the selection of animals for genotyping in 2024. The ICBF selects the animals that it sees the best merit in genotyping, but if farmers want to change this selection they must login to their ICBF portal by 1 July. The portal can be accessed only through the desktop version and not via the app, and can be accessed through the ‘services’ tab and ‘SCEP’.
ACRES LESS information
The Department of Agriculture’s Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) section this week issued correspondence to ACRES-approved advisers regarding the submission of low-emission slurry-spreading (LESS) forms.
The correspondence stated that despite numerous SMS reminders to the relevant participants, there remains a substantial number of ACRES participants who have yet to complete and return their LESS action details on the relevant portal on their AgFood account.
The circular added that participants who have been approved for the LESS action as part of their ACRES contract cannot be paid their 2023 balance payment, and subsequent payments, until the LESS details are completed and returned on the online portal.
It said that the Department will be writing this week to participants who have yet to return their LESS details, to remind them of the need to complete this as possible and advising them that the final date for return of the online form is Friday, 5 July 2024.
“Failure to complete and submit the LESS return will result in the rejection of the LESS action from a participant’s ACRES contract.
“This communication is being brought to your attention in case your clients contact you in this regard. If they do so, please encourage any of your ACRES clients who have the LESS action as part of their approved contract, but who have not yet completed and returned their LESS details, to do so as soon as possible, to prevent the action being rejected from their contract.
“Once the LESS action is rejected, it cannot be reinstated.”