The Department of Agriculture has commenced issuing some €28m to 14,500 suckler farmers this week, under the 2022 Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP).
This means the average participant farmer will receive a payment of approximately €1,930 under the suckler scheme.
Added to the €42m issued by the Department to 30,000 beef and suckler farmers under the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme for Sucklers (BEEP-S) scheme and dairy beef calf programme last week, the BDGP payments bring total recent beef farmer supports to €70m.
Announcing the BDGP payments, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said the scheme has “brought about reductions in Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions while also introducing genetic technology into the national herd, thus improving farm profitability”.
“The BGDP has also been critical income support for beef and suckler farmers since its inception.”
New scheme
A one-year transitional Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) for 2022 saw 16,524 of the original BDGP I scheme’s participants opt to continue in the scheme for 2022, while the second tranche of the original programme, BDGP II, has 1,402 participants.
In total, some €70m has been issued to the beef sector in the past week. \ Donal O'Leary
This year represents the final year for both schemes, as they will be replaced by the new Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) in 2023. This scheme for suckler farmers is set to open in March.
The Minister said the new SCEP scheme will “build on the success of the BDGP and will pay participants €150/cow on the first 10 animals compared to €90/cow on the first 10 in the outgoing BDGP”.
Further BDGP payments will continue to issue on an ongoing basis as more farmers verify their compliance with the 2022 scheme requirements.
Minister McConalogue urged participating farmers “to return all surveys and genotyping samples and/or complete the carbon navigator update as soon as possible to facilitate payment”.
Income source
IFA livestock chair Brendan Golden described the BDGP payments as an important income source for beef and suckler farmers across the country.
“In the context of ongoing discussions about the beef sector, this type of scheme underlines the value and importance of the suckler cow. It’s the cornerstone of the beef sector and underpins the contribution of the sector to the rural economy,” he said.
Golden called on the Government to recognise that the suckler and beef sector supports thousands of jobs in rural Ireland and contributes hugely to the social fabric of towns and villages all over the country.
Read more
€42m issued to 30,000 farmers under beef schemes
New suckler scheme to open in March
The Department of Agriculture has commenced issuing some €28m to 14,500 suckler farmers this week, under the 2022 Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP).
This means the average participant farmer will receive a payment of approximately €1,930 under the suckler scheme.
Added to the €42m issued by the Department to 30,000 beef and suckler farmers under the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme for Sucklers (BEEP-S) scheme and dairy beef calf programme last week, the BDGP payments bring total recent beef farmer supports to €70m.
Announcing the BDGP payments, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said the scheme has “brought about reductions in Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions while also introducing genetic technology into the national herd, thus improving farm profitability”.
“The BGDP has also been critical income support for beef and suckler farmers since its inception.”
New scheme
A one-year transitional Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) for 2022 saw 16,524 of the original BDGP I scheme’s participants opt to continue in the scheme for 2022, while the second tranche of the original programme, BDGP II, has 1,402 participants.
In total, some €70m has been issued to the beef sector in the past week. \ Donal O'Leary
This year represents the final year for both schemes, as they will be replaced by the new Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) in 2023. This scheme for suckler farmers is set to open in March.
The Minister said the new SCEP scheme will “build on the success of the BDGP and will pay participants €150/cow on the first 10 animals compared to €90/cow on the first 10 in the outgoing BDGP”.
Further BDGP payments will continue to issue on an ongoing basis as more farmers verify their compliance with the 2022 scheme requirements.
Minister McConalogue urged participating farmers “to return all surveys and genotyping samples and/or complete the carbon navigator update as soon as possible to facilitate payment”.
Income source
IFA livestock chair Brendan Golden described the BDGP payments as an important income source for beef and suckler farmers across the country.
“In the context of ongoing discussions about the beef sector, this type of scheme underlines the value and importance of the suckler cow. It’s the cornerstone of the beef sector and underpins the contribution of the sector to the rural economy,” he said.
Golden called on the Government to recognise that the suckler and beef sector supports thousands of jobs in rural Ireland and contributes hugely to the social fabric of towns and villages all over the country.
Read more
€42m issued to 30,000 farmers under beef schemes
New suckler scheme to open in March
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