Payments under 2024 Beef Welfare Scheme begin to issue

Payments under the Beef Welfare Scheme 2024 (BWS) have commenced, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has confirmed.

Over €19.98m will issue to 23,132 participating farmers this week.

The Beef Welfare Scheme 2024 supports farmers in meal feeding suckler calves before and after weaning and in vaccinating against clostridial diseases and/or calf pneumonia.

Meal feeding, which is a mandatory action under the scheme, will be paid at a rate of €35 per eligible calf, with vaccination, which is an optional action, paid at a rate of €15 per eligible calf up to a maximum of 40 calves.

Farmers who select and complete both scheme actions will be paid €50 per calf subject to a maximum overall payment of €2,000 (40 calves).

Payments will be visible in farmers’ bank account in the coming days.

Requests

Farmers are reminded that if they have received a request to submit meal feeding and/or vaccination documentation, they should return them as soon as possible.

Minister McConalogue said: “I have increased targeted supports to the beef sector in successive years through this national beef welfare programme and the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP).

"Farmers that participated in both schemes this year will receive a payment per cow and calf of €200.

"These measures support farm incomes, but also help to deliver on efficiency, environmental and animal welfare goals and with all these benefits in mind, I was very pleased to secure funding in Budget 2025 to increase this payment to €225 for next year.”