Proposed actions for beef and sheep schemes revealed

Proposed details of the 2025 National Beef Welfare Scheme and National Sheep Welfare Scheme were unveiled last week, in a meeting between Department of Agriculture officials and farm organisations.

The main component of the Beef Welfare Scheme remains meal feeding pre- and post-weaning, with this being a mandatory action.

Vaccination of calves for clostridial disease or pneumonia remains in place for the second optional action.

A third action of a parasite control programme, including carrying out faecal egg counts and silage analysis, is proposed as an option to draw down a higher payment.

The level of finance in the national exchequer-funded scheme has been increased from €20m to €28m, with the payment rate increasing from a potential of €50 to €75/cow.

The IFA is calling for the 40-cow limit to be removed.

The four actions of shearing, body condition scoring, clostridial disease vaccination and plunge dipping are proposed to continue in the Sheep Welfare Scheme; while a footbathing action might also be included.

The format of the scheme is proposed to change slightly to facilitate farmers drawing down a higher payment, increasing from €8 to €13/ewe.

Proposals include farmers selecting two actions from a list that contains shearing, body condition scoring and clostridial disease vaccination, and one action from either plunge-dipping or footbathing. The two proposed schemes must be approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and farm organisations are calling for quick movement and confirmation of actions to ensure farmers have an opportunity to draw down support on all eligible animals.

Meanwhile, the Irish Farmers Journal understands that it is also hoped to reintroduce the national exchequer-funded Dairy Beef Scheme, which offers farmers a payment in return for weighing calves and recording weights with the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF).

Proposals include a payment of €20/calf, up to 50 head.