A suckler farmer got in touch last week. There was no sign of their Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) payment. This is despite having completed a SCEP inspection before Christmas where they were required to weigh their cows again having put them on the scales earlier in the autumn.

Recently, they got a call from the Department of Agriculture to say they had been selected for another check. An inspection of the inspection if you will. The farmer was informed if they refuse to take it, the SCEP payment won’t be made.

In the middle of calving and working off farm, they now must take a second day off work to comply with the inspection. Are they checking average dairy weight gains now? What was that about reducing red tape for farmers?