Farmers taking part in the Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot (BEEP) scheme can begin weighing cattle under the scheme from Friday 8 March.

Under the scheme, farmers have two options as to how they weigh animals.

Options

Farmers can weigh cattle with a rented scales from an approved field service agent to undertake the BEEP weight recording process or they can use an owned, borrowed or third-party service model.

All calves which are being submitted for weighing must have been born between 1 July 2018 and 30 June 2019

Farmers using scales that are sourced from a third-party service provider must, for inspection purposes, retain documentary evidence establishing the scales procurement, the Department of Agriculture has said.

All calves which are being submitted for weighing must have been born between 1 July 2018 and 30 June 2019.

Farmers are also advised that no payment under the scheme will be made unless all BVD persistently infected (PI) animals born prior to 1 January 2019 have a date of death recorded on the animal identification and movements (AIM) system prior to 31 March 2019.

Applicants

Some 18,593 farmers applied to the BEEP scheme, which is worth €40/cow.

Galway had the highest number of applications per county with 2,015, followed by 1,739 in Co Mayo, 1,453 in Co Clare and 1,365 in Co Cork.

Read more

Beef Environment Efficiency Pilot 2019 explained

Map: Co Galway leads BEEP applications

Over 18,500 farmers apply for BEEP