Half of the suckler herds in Ireland have signed up to the Beef Genomics Scheme (BGS) and Beef Data Programme (BDP). Speaking in the Dáil last week, Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney confirmed that over 36,000 of the country’s suckler herds are part of the beef programmes. Minister Coveney was responding to a question from Fianna Fáil agriculture spokesperson Éamon Ó Cuív.

Out of the 72,677 suckler herds in the country, a total of 36,492 herds have signed up to the two beef programmes. These figures tally with information carried by the Irish Farmers Journal in May. The Department of Agriculture had forecast that 51% of sucker herds would sign up the scheme. The Department had also expected to receive more than 35,000 applications for the BGS.

The highest sign-up rate came from Clare and Leitrim, with 60% of herds from each county in the two programmes. This means that 2,273 herds in Clare and 1,578 herds in Leitrim are part of BGS and BDP.

The counties with the lowest participation rates were Limerick (38%), Waterford (39%) and Cork (40%).

Announced by Minister Coveney last October, the budget for the BGS is €23m.

Farmers who are signed up to the BGS receive €40 per calf. This is equivalent to the old Suckler Cow Welfare Scheme (SCWS) in 2013. However, the new BGS scheme is accompanied by the €20 BDP scheme (€20 on the first 30 calves; €10 on the next 20 calves).

When the SCWS first opened in 2008, it was worth €80 per calf and attracted in the region of 53,000 herds and a total of more than one million calf registrations.

Replying to a separate question in the Dáil last week, Minister Coveney said he expected payments for BGS and BDP to commence later this month.