Sheep Improvement Scheme

This week’s approval by the Irish Government of Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 has delivered some more information on new schemes such as the Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS).

This replaces the Sheep Welfare Scheme and will open for applications in November 2022.

The level of payment is increasing from €10 to €12 per ewe and the reference number of breeding ewes will be based on the most beneficial three-year average recorded on your census form 2016 to 2021.

The suite of measures included is broadly similar with one significant change. There is a requirement for all sheep farmers to purchase a genotyped ram at least once during the scheme, while farmers possessing over 150 ewes must complete the action twice.

This undoubtedly will increase the demand for genotyped rams. It will not necessarily be instant and many lowland breeders have already adopted genotyping and marketing of such rams.

It will be a greater challenge for hill sheep farmers, with only a couple of breed societies carrying out performance recording and genotyping of rams.

As such it is important that hill sheep ram breeders assess the merits of performance recording for their flock.

Sheep Ireland are encouraging ram breeders and hill groups interested in performance recording to make contact (query@sheep.ie or 023 88 20 451) to explore options available.

This message also applies to lowland breeds not currently involved in recording.

Taking action sooner rather than later should allow breeders to gain the maximum value from the requirement and may also influence this year’s breeding decisions for later lambing and hill flocks.

Organic fertilisers

Farmers in Ireland should note that the final date for applying slurry is Friday 7 October, one week earlier than in 2021. The final date for applying farmyard manure is 30 October.

After this date if farmyard manure is stored outdoors, then under Nitrates regulations it must be stored on a surface where all runoff can be collected until the application period reopens in 2023.

For farmers in Northern Ireland, the last date to apply slurry is 14 October. Any slurry applied from 30 September to 14 October must adhere to a 5m extra buffer zone for any water bodies (15m) and a 10m extra buffer zone for lakes (30m). Farmyard manure can be applied until 31 October.

It is important to use farmyard manure strategically to get the maximum return. The optimum areas for applying are low fertility soils and areas identified for grazing early in 2023 that are not likely to receive an early application of chemical nitrogen.

Grazing plans should now take in to account the closing of paddocks for early grazing next spring. Paddocks should be closed from the end of October for mid-season lambing flocks providing a rest period of 100 to 120 days.

BPS advance payments

There have been some queries over the last week regarding when advance payments under the 2023 Basic Payment Scheme will begin. Payments will begin to issue to applicants cleared for payment from 17 October.

Some of the farmers enquiring are pre-empting an increase in demand for breeding stock to coincide with a release in payments.