Payments of €42-million under Beef Sector Efficiency Programme – Lowry

Deputy Michael Lowry has welcomed confirmation from Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, T.D., that payments under the Beef Sector Efficiency Programmes have commenced.  €42 million will be paid to more than 30,000 participating farmers.

These payments, under Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme – Sucklers (BEEP-S) and Dairy-Beef, build on the range of support schemes available for beef farmers.

The BEEP-S scheme helps to increase economic and environmental efficiency in the suckler herd though improvement in the quantity and quality of performance data collected, with a view to supporting the adoption of best practice and more informed

decision making at farm level.

The Dairy-Beef Scheme helps to increase the economic and environmental efficiency of beef from the dairy herd, and to facilitate further the integration of the dairy and beef sectors by providing support for farmers who are rearing progeny from the dairy herd.

The BEEP-S programme targeted the weaning efficiency of suckler cows and calves, measuring the live weight of the calf at weaning as a percentage of the cow's live weight. In recognition of the important role of animal health and welfare issues, participants were also encouraged to implement a number of optional health and welfare measures including pre-weaning meal feeding, vaccination programmes and fecal testing. The core action for Dairy-Beef Scheme was the weighing of eligible calves for which there was a payment of €20 per calf up to a maximum of 20 calves.

The importance of payments under these schemes for the beef sector and the processing of such payments at the earliest possible opportunity remains is a key priority and underlines the Departments ongoing commitment to the beef and suckler sectors.