Payments are now issuing to over 15,000 farmers participating in the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP), Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has announced.

The payment round represents €46m on their way to farmers and it may take up to five days for payments to be visible in farmers' accounts.

The average payment comes in at just under €2,800 per farmer.

Minister McConalogue’s figures suggest that SCEP payments for over 2,000 farmers - or one in every eight farmers participating in the scheme - have yet to issue.

“I welcome the payment of over €46m to some 15,364 farmers participating in the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme this week. These payments further build on the range of support schemes available for beef farmers,” the minister commented.

Genetic progress

He stated that SCEP builds on genetic progress achieved through the previous two suckler schemes run by the Department of Agriculture: the Beef Data and Genomics Programme and the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme.

“The introduction of this programme further demonstrates the continuing commitment of this Government to the beef sector for the coming years.

“I appreciate the importance of these payments to the beef sector and therefore encourage SCEP participants to submit any outstanding documentation to the Department or the ICBF as soon as possible so that outstanding payments can be processed.”