Farmers will have the ability to influence their potential payment under the new Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme, which is set to be introduced in 2023 as part of the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027.
This will be made possible by farmers having the ability to decide the historical reference period, which will set the upper number of cows on which payment will be based – what is known in such schemes as the reference number for payment.
The reference number will be based on the average number of cows calved down in a herd from a combination of any three years in the period from 2016 to 2021.
Speaking at the Department of Agriculture CAP information meeting in Rosscarbery last Thursday night, Peter Harte from the Department said: “With the new scheme, what we plan on doing is this; the application will be done online and when a farmer logs in, they will be presented with the historic data from 2016 to 2021 on the number of suckler cows that calved down in those years.
“From that, they will pick three years and we will devise an average for those three years which we will then divide by 1.5 for the maximum payable area. That becomes the maximum scheme reference figure,” he said.
Greater flexibility
The proposed programme for the scheme has been submitted as part of the CAP Strategic Plan for approval by the EU Commission.
If successful, there will be more flexibility in determining the reference figure than was the case with the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP), where 2014 was the set reference year for all participants, with new entrants or force majeure cases being the exception.
The three years don’t have to be consecutive and if a farmer calved cows in only two years of that period, then the reference will be an average of those two years.
Genotyping must take place on 70% of the reference figure on an annual basis.
If a farmer’s circumstances change in a given year, the option is there to revise the maximum figure downwards.
The Department explains that when applying each year, a farmer will have the ability to change the reference figure.
For example, if they lost leased land for a year, they could reduce the figure and the option is there to increase it back up to the maximum reference figure if more land became available again.
“This flexibility allows farmers to meet the requirements of the scheme without penalty,” Harte said.
The number of cows a farmer possesses can exceed the reference figure, but no payment will be forthcoming on any numbers above the reference figure.
Payment rates
The Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme has a budget of €260m across the five years of the scheme, similar to the initial outlay for BDGP. The proposed payment is calculated on an area basis, as payment cannot be directly linked to an animal.
The proposed payment rate is €225 per hectare for the first 15 eligible hectares and €180 per remaining eligible hectares.
It is proposed to incorporate the weighing component of the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme (BEEP) into the new suckler scheme.
This, according to the Department, equates to a proposed payment of €150 on the first 10 cows in the herd and €120 per cow thereafter.
This compares to a payment of approximately €95 for the first 10 cows in a herd under BDGP and €80 for the remaining cows. It must be noted however that the new Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme includes the weighing element from the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme (BEEP), while annual costs will also be higher due to the requirement to genotype 10% more animals.
New elements
There are a number of new elements proposed, including the requirement to be a member of the Bord Bia Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme (SBLAS), with the Department highlighting that this will be used to measure changes over the course of the contract.
The Department also outlines that SBLAS membership must be in place prior to application.
In addition, there is a stipulation included which was not present in the BDGP, stating that participants must calve down at least 50% of the reference number of animals each year.
Participants will also be required to attend a half day livestock handling course before the end of year two, along with mandatory training on the implementation of the actions under the scheme in the first two years of the contract.
Mandatory measures
In addition to the measures outlined above, there are a number of mandatory measures that must be completed.
Replacement strategy: In years one and two, at least 80% of calves produced on the holding must be from a four or five star sire, as per ICBF evaluations. This increases to 85% in years three and four and 90% in year five. On the dam side, at least 50% of the reference figure of cows retained on the holding must be rated as four of five star as per the ICBF replacement evaluations.
This increases to 65% in years three and four and 75% in year five.
Weight recording: At least 70% of the reference number of animals on the holding must be weighed every year, with weights submitted by 1 November annually. Conditions are similar to that currently in BEEP, with a cow-calf pair weighed before weaning and not before a calf is at least 100 days of age.
Genotyping: At least 70% of the reference number of animals on the holding must be genotyped each year of the programme, without repetition.Data recording: Participants must provide a range of data through animal events, records and surveys.
Farmers will have the ability to influence their potential payment under the new Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme, which is set to be introduced in 2023 as part of the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027.
This will be made possible by farmers having the ability to decide the historical reference period, which will set the upper number of cows on which payment will be based – what is known in such schemes as the reference number for payment.
The reference number will be based on the average number of cows calved down in a herd from a combination of any three years in the period from 2016 to 2021.
Speaking at the Department of Agriculture CAP information meeting in Rosscarbery last Thursday night, Peter Harte from the Department said: “With the new scheme, what we plan on doing is this; the application will be done online and when a farmer logs in, they will be presented with the historic data from 2016 to 2021 on the number of suckler cows that calved down in those years.
“From that, they will pick three years and we will devise an average for those three years which we will then divide by 1.5 for the maximum payable area. That becomes the maximum scheme reference figure,” he said.
Greater flexibility
The proposed programme for the scheme has been submitted as part of the CAP Strategic Plan for approval by the EU Commission.
If successful, there will be more flexibility in determining the reference figure than was the case with the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP), where 2014 was the set reference year for all participants, with new entrants or force majeure cases being the exception.
The three years don’t have to be consecutive and if a farmer calved cows in only two years of that period, then the reference will be an average of those two years.
Genotyping must take place on 70% of the reference figure on an annual basis.
If a farmer’s circumstances change in a given year, the option is there to revise the maximum figure downwards.
The Department explains that when applying each year, a farmer will have the ability to change the reference figure.
For example, if they lost leased land for a year, they could reduce the figure and the option is there to increase it back up to the maximum reference figure if more land became available again.
“This flexibility allows farmers to meet the requirements of the scheme without penalty,” Harte said.
The number of cows a farmer possesses can exceed the reference figure, but no payment will be forthcoming on any numbers above the reference figure.
Payment rates
The Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme has a budget of €260m across the five years of the scheme, similar to the initial outlay for BDGP. The proposed payment is calculated on an area basis, as payment cannot be directly linked to an animal.
The proposed payment rate is €225 per hectare for the first 15 eligible hectares and €180 per remaining eligible hectares.
It is proposed to incorporate the weighing component of the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme (BEEP) into the new suckler scheme.
This, according to the Department, equates to a proposed payment of €150 on the first 10 cows in the herd and €120 per cow thereafter.
This compares to a payment of approximately €95 for the first 10 cows in a herd under BDGP and €80 for the remaining cows. It must be noted however that the new Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme includes the weighing element from the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme (BEEP), while annual costs will also be higher due to the requirement to genotype 10% more animals.
New elements
There are a number of new elements proposed, including the requirement to be a member of the Bord Bia Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme (SBLAS), with the Department highlighting that this will be used to measure changes over the course of the contract.
The Department also outlines that SBLAS membership must be in place prior to application.
In addition, there is a stipulation included which was not present in the BDGP, stating that participants must calve down at least 50% of the reference number of animals each year.
Participants will also be required to attend a half day livestock handling course before the end of year two, along with mandatory training on the implementation of the actions under the scheme in the first two years of the contract.
Mandatory measures
In addition to the measures outlined above, there are a number of mandatory measures that must be completed.
Replacement strategy: In years one and two, at least 80% of calves produced on the holding must be from a four or five star sire, as per ICBF evaluations. This increases to 85% in years three and four and 90% in year five. On the dam side, at least 50% of the reference figure of cows retained on the holding must be rated as four of five star as per the ICBF replacement evaluations.
This increases to 65% in years three and four and 75% in year five.
Weight recording: At least 70% of the reference number of animals on the holding must be weighed every year, with weights submitted by 1 November annually. Conditions are similar to that currently in BEEP, with a cow-calf pair weighed before weaning and not before a calf is at least 100 days of age.
Genotyping: At least 70% of the reference number of animals on the holding must be genotyped each year of the programme, without repetition.Data recording: Participants must provide a range of data through animal events, records and surveys. 
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