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Some 58% of the 6,015 farmers who participated in and received payments through the 2021 dairy-beef calf welfare scheme were in Munster counties.
Almost one in every five (20%) of the participating farmers were in Co Cork alone, with a further 11% in Co Tipperary.
Co Tipperary also had the highest average payment rate under the scheme in 2021, with its 624 participating farmers receiving an average of €365.
This was followed by the 174 Waterford farmers with an average payment of €362 and the 547 Kilkenny farmers who received an average of €359 under the scheme.
On the other end of the scale, Co Leitrim had 28 farmers participate in the 2021 scheme with an average payment of €299, the second-lowest participation and second-lowest average payment.
Co Dublin only had 10 farmers take part in the scheme last year.
The scheme rewards farmers rearing progeny from the dairy herd with a payment of €20 for every calf weighed up to a maximum of 40 animals and for the submission of weights to the ICBF. This means that a farmer could draw down a maximum payment of €800.
This current scheme will remain applicable to all dairy-beef calves born before 30 June 2023, with a new scheme, set to move the payment from the calf rearer back to its breeder, commencing for all calves born from 1 July 2023.
2022 applications
For the 2022 iteration of the scheme, those rearing dairy-beef calves in Co Cork have again shown the strongest interest, making up 1,797 (18%) of the 9,770 farmer applicants.
Overall, applications to the scheme this year are 19% up on the year previous, growing from 8,185 to 9,770 farmers and reflecting a greater interest farm farmers rearing dairy-beef calves.
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