Ticking the SCEP boxes in 2024

While there isn’t a specific target for four and five star females in SCEP herds in 2024 it’s important to remember the other requirements of the scheme to ensure that your 2024 SCEP payment is issued without delay in December.

SCEP participants also need to be aware that all participants need to be Bord Bia quality assured.

A huge amount of new entrants joined the Bord Bia Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme in 2023 so it’s important that farmers keep up their membership and pass their audit to stay in SCEP.

In each scheme year, applicants must calve at least 50% beef breed animals of the yearly reference number.

From scheme year two onwards, 80% of these calves must have been sired from a four- or five-star source, ie. a genotyped four- or five-star bull on either the terminal or replacement index (on a within or across breed basis) at time of service and/or if using AI, the AI straw used on participating holdings must be from a four- or five-star eligible bull on either the terminal or replacement index (on a within or across breed basis).

In the event that an applicant calves more than the 50% requirement, these animals must also be sired from a four- or five-star source to a minimum of at least 80% of their yearly reference number. The target increases to 85% in years three and four of the programme and 90% in year five.

It’s important to note that sire discrepancies identified as a result of any genotyping performed during the programme will be resolved and where commitments are subsequently deemed to have not been achieved, the corresponding penalties will be applied.

Applicants were required to ensure that by 31 October 2023, at least 50% of their yearly reference number were eligible females that were genotyped four- or five-star on the replacement index (on a within breed or across breed basis) at the time of purchase (for replacements brought into the herd) or at the time of genotyping (for those replacements bred within the herd).

This target increases to 65% by 31 October 2025 and 75% by 31 October 2027. Genotyped females must be at least 16 months old on these dates.

Applicants are required to take a tissue-tag sample from animals selected for genotyping as part of the programme. ICBF will select animals to be genotyped in each herd and will notify herd owners of the animals selected.

It may be possible for the herd owner to nominate animals for genotyping other than those selected by ICBF.

The number of animals to be genotyped each year will be at least equivalent to 70% of the beneficiary’s “yearly reference number” (rounded down to the nearest animal).

For example, an applicant with a yearly reference of 10 must have sufficient animals to genotype seven females, calves or eligible bulls, without repetition of animals genotyped under the programme to date. Samples must be returned by 30 November each year.

Participants must weigh at least 80% of eligible animals born on the holding of the yearly reference number in each scheme year and their dams and submit weights to ICBF.

Each live calf must be unweaned and weighed with its dam on the applicant’s holding on the same day.

Where a calf dies before five months of age or its dam, this must be recorded on AIM and the 80% does not include such pairs.

The calf must be a minimum of 50 days old before it is eligible to be weighed.

All calves being submitted for weighing must have been born in the herd within each scheme year.

The calf must be a minimum of 50 days old before it is eligible to be weighed. Weights should be submitted within seven days of weighing and no later than 1 November annually.

In addition to meeting the statutory requirements for tagging and registration, programme applicants must complete the calving ease survey for each calf born on their farm.

Calf sire, calving ease, birth size and calf vigour must be recorded for each calf, along with calf quality, calf docility, dam docility, dam milk-ability, dam mothering ability, dam feet and legs, dam teat score and dam udder score.

If a cow departs your farm, a departure reason must also be given as part of the surveys.

All surveys for each scheme year must be submitted by 15 February the following year.

Deadline

Scheme data for 2024 must be submitted by the 15 February 2025.

Applicants must attend a SCEP training course related to information on controls, inspections and sanctions in the SCEP and information on health and safety and livestock handling.

This course must be completed by 15 November 2024 and failure to complete will result in removal from the programme.

No payment will be made to farmers for attending the training courses.

You can log in and register for the training at www.sceptraining.ie

Payments will be made on a per hectare basis with the first 15ha of the maximum payable area (MPA) being paid at €225/ha and the remaining hectares being paid at €180/ha.

The number of eligible suckler cows that produced an eligible calf on the holding in the years 2016 to 2021 inclusive are provided by the Department at the application stage.

Applicants

SCEP applicants are given the best three years of 2016 to 2021 in terms of number of cows calved and will receive the average of these three years as a reference number. This reference number will be divided by 1.5 to give an MPA. For example, a farmer with a reference number of 10 will have an MPA of 6.67ha. This farmer is paid €1,500 of a total payment or €150/cow.