The Irish Farmers Journal has obtained what is likely to be the final draft of the terms and conditions for the new Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP). It had been envisaged that farmers would receive an annual payment of €100 for the first 10 cows in the herd with a payment of €80 per cow across the remainder. However, based on the calculations contained in the documents obtained by the Irish Farmers Journal, the payment on the first 10 cows will be €95 per cow, reducing to €80 for the remaining cows in the herd.While the IFA are demanding that Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney commits to paying the €80 on all remaining cows in the herd, this has not been confirmed. Although dependent on the number of farmers signing up to the six year scheme, it is unlikely that the current annual budget of €52 million would be adequate to provide such a guarantee. It is stated in the terms and conditions that in the event of the scheme being over-subscribed, the selection of beneficiaries will be based on criteria designed to achieve the best environmental return.
The Irish Farmers Journal has obtained what is likely to be the final draft of the terms and conditions for the new Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP). It had been envisaged that farmers would receive an annual payment of €100 for the first 10 cows in the herd with a payment of €80 per cow across the remainder. However, based on the calculations contained in the documents obtained by the Irish Farmers Journal, the payment on the first 10 cows will be €95 per cow, reducing to €80 for the remaining cows in the herd.
While the IFA are demanding that Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney commits to paying the €80 on all remaining cows in the herd, this has not been confirmed. Although dependent on the number of farmers signing up to the six year scheme, it is unlikely that the current annual budget of €52 million would be adequate to provide such a guarantee. It is stated in the terms and conditions that in the event of the scheme being over-subscribed, the selection of beneficiaries will be based on criteria designed to achieve the best environmental return.
As revealed by the Irish Farmers Journal in March, farmers will be paid on a per hectare (ha) basis and not per cow. The per hectare payment is thought to be in response to pressure from officials in Brussels keen to ensure the new scheme is fully compliant with WTO regulations.
While a per hectare payment does add a level of complexity to the payment model, ultimately the amount of money a farmer will receive through the scheme will be linked to the number of cows calving down on the farm. For example, a farmer with fives suckler cows on 10 ha will receive a total payment of €475. This will be paid on the first 3.33 ha at a rate of €142.50/ha. Meanwhile a farmer with 30 suckler cows on 20 ha will receive a total payment of €1,750. Based on the Department’s coefficients, €950 will be paid out across the first 6.6 ha at a rate of €142.50, with the balance of €800 effectively paid across a further 6.6/ha at a rate of €120/ha. The payment rate per hectare may vary depending on the exact co-efficient selected by the Department of Agriculture.
The table below gives a guide as to the annual payment a farmer will receive depending on the number of eligible heifers/cows calving down in the herd. (Assuming he or she complies with all the regulations contained in the scheme).
Number of eligible cows/heifers calving down Total Annual Payment
2 €190
5 €475
8 €760
11 €1030
17 €1510
19 €1670
28 €2389
30 €2550
35 €2886
40 €3150
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