Some €31m in payments under the 2021 Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) have commenced, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue confirms.

Payments are being issues over the coming days to farmers in both BDGP I and II.

Further BDGP payments will continue to issue on an ongoing basis as more farmers verify their compliance with the 2021 scheme requirements.

The Minister urged participating farmers “to return all surveys and genotyping samples and/or complete the carbon navigator update as soon as possible to facilitate payment”.

He said: “The BDGP has proven itself to be a hugely successful scheme has supported beef farmer incomes and drive greater levels of efficiency in our world-class suckler herd.”

A one-year transitional BDGP for 2021 saw 17,700 of the original scheme’s participants opt to continue in the scheme for 2021 while the second tranche of the original programme – BDGP II – has 1,450 participants and will end in 2022.

“In the past week alone, we have issued over €70m to our beef and suckler farmers through our innovative schemes.

“The payments under the BDGP are in addition to the €42m that issued last week under the 2021 BEEP-S and Dairy Programmes to over 30,000 participants,” he said.

Continuation of schemes

The Minister also said that: “Approval has been received for the continuity of many farm schemes in 2022, including the BDGP.

“In that context, my Department, since 18 November 2021, has been accepting applications from participants in the 2021 BDGP transitional scheme to participate in a further one-year extension of BDGP for 2022. The closing date for receipt of applications is 5pm on 20 December 2021.

“I am looking forward to building on the gains made under the BDGP through the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Scheme under the next CAP, which will see participants earn €150/cow on the first 10 cows which is up from €90/cow on the first 10 cows under the BDGP.”