Department of Agriculture legislation requires that calves are tagged within 20 days of birth and registered within 27 days of birth. Animals are required to be tagged with both tags and retain this status at all times. Online registration of calves now accounts for 84% of all births, with this process proving valuable in identifying and flagging issues, such as late registrations. Where hardcopy applications continue to be used, applications must be submitted in a manner that ensures documentation arrives within 27 days of birth.
Department of Agriculture legislation requires that calves are tagged within 20 days of birth and registered within 27 days of birth. Animals are required to be tagged with both tags and retain this status at all times.
Online registration of calves now accounts for 84% of all births, with this process proving valuable in identifying and flagging issues, such as late registrations. Where hardcopy applications continue to be used, applications must be submitted in a manner that ensures documentation arrives within 27 days of birth.
Compliance with these rules is not only important to adhere to cross-compliance, as the majority of livestock schemes, such as the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Scheme (SCEP), National Beef Welfare Scheme, Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) Financial Supports Programme, etc, also have adherence with the above rules included in their terms and conditions.
BVD financial support
The BVD Financial Supports Programme has not been launched in previous years until mid-to-late-February and at which stage a significant number of calves have been born.
The financial support for animals disclosed as BVD test positive or inconclusive in 2024 was dependent on animals being tested within a tight timeframe.
In 2024 a payment was made on animals removed to a knackery, abattoir or meat plant and which had a date of death recorded on the AIM system as follows:
Beef herds
A payment of €220 if the animal is removed within 10 days of the first positive or inconclusive test.A reduced payment of €30 if the animal is removed between day 11 and day 21 of the first positive or inconclusive test.Dairy herds
A payment of €160 if the dairy female or dairy cross animal is removed within 10 days of positive or inconclusive BVD test.A reduced payment of €30 if the dairy female or dairy-cross animal is removed between day 11 and day 21 of the first positive or inconclusive BVD test.A payment of €30 if the dairy bull is removed within 14 days of the positive or inconclusive BVD test.A period of 11-21 days from the date of latest positive/inconclusive test to slaughter was the cut-off interval for payment/compensation.
The exception to this is if the programme directs retesting of an animal, and in such a scenario the animal must have been removed within three weeks of the most recent BVD positive or inconclusive test result. It is likely that a similar format will apply in 2025.
The receiving of payments under the BVD tagging support programme was also dependent on adhering to the above rules.
SCEP pointers
There are a number of important aspects under the SCEP that participants should note.
It is well documented that participants must calve at least 50% of reference number of animals to beef breeds in each scheme year. However, many participants do not realise that the scheme year runs from 1 July to 30 June – ie the scheme year for year three runs from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025.
For years three and four of SCEP at least 85% of the required number of calves must be sired by a four- or five-star sire. In the event that an applicant calves more than the 50% requirement, these animals must also be sired by a four/five-star sire to a minimum of at least 85% of their yearly reference number.
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