Some 730 privately owned scales have been registered by farmers to date to weigh calves as part of the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme (BEEP).
The €20m scheme provides farmers with a payment of €40/calf for weighing a suckler calf and its dam. Farmers wishing to weigh animals with a privately owned scales are required to register the scales with the Irish Cattle and Breeding Federation (ICBF).
Weights
ICBF has been accepting weight records from beef farmers since 8 March and to date, weighing records have been submitted by 500 herd owners to record weights for over 14,000 animals.
Some 18,500 suckler farmers with an average herd size of 25 cows have applied to the scheme. It is believed there are over 460,000 calves to weigh as part of the scheme.
Smartphone apps for both Android and Apple devices have been developed to facilitate the quick and accurate submission of these details. Participating farmers may also avail of an online weight recording facility or can submit data using a dedicated form available from the ICBF.
Rental scales
For farmers who do not own their own scales or do not have access to another privately owned scales, the Department of Agriculture has said rental scales will be made available.
Detailed information on these rental scales and their roll-out to locations across the country will be released next week. It is believed they will be available to rent for a set price of €50/day.
Map: Co Galway leads BEEP applications
Farmer Writes: getting paid for a job I've been doing already