Payments totalling €47.8m commenced on Thursday 5 December in the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme. The Department of Agriculture reports that 14,943 farmers received payments.

In the region of €51.54m was paid to 16,802 participants for the 2023 scheme year as of July 2024. If numbers in the scheme remain the same it means there are over 1,800 farmers yet to receive payment.

The Department is advising participants to submit any outstanding documentation to the Department or ICBF as soon as possible, so that any outstanding payments can be processed. In announcing the payments, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said: “SCEP provides support to beef farmers to improve the environmental sustainability of the national beef herd.

“This is the second year of SCEP as part of the CAP and it builds on the gains delivered in recent years through the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) and the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme (BEEP) by improving the genetic merit of the Irish Suckler herd.”

The minister added: “I recognise the importance of SCEP payments to the beef sector and farming families and issuing these payments at the earliest opportunity remains a key priority.”

Genotyping costs

It is important to note that two entries will appear under the SCEP heading in the Financial Self Services payment section. The larger payment is the payment under the scheme, while the second payment, which will be listed as an overpayment, is the funds deducted to cover the cost of genotyping.

Selecting the main payment will also provide information with regards any payment being withheld for any action and penalties imposed. This is most likely for action five, calving details and surveys.

Record-keeping accounts for 10% of the annual payment and event recording another 10%. Where between 80% and 100% of the required data was submitted before the payment date, then a proportionate reduction based on the percentage of data submitted will have been applied.

However, if less than 80% of the required data was submitted, then a 10% penalty will have been applied to the relevant action.

This is calculated on the sum of money attributed to the action and it is important to note that it will be reimbursed if the required data is submitted by 15 February 2025. If the data is not submitted by 15 February 2025, then the 2024 payment for this action will be lost and the 10% penalty will still stand.