The latest figures available from the Department of Agriculture show that 5,600 applications were submitted for the new National Beef Welfare Scheme as of Wednesday morning.
There are another 1,950 applications at draft stage, which is higher than normal, and as such, the Department is advising farmers wishing to apply to ensure that their application is submitted correctly by the closing date of 23.59pm on 12 September.
This is a vital point, as there is no late application facility similar to what is present in other schemes, whereby applications can be submitted with a penalty after the closing date.
This means that any application not submitted before the deadline will not be accepted. This applies to applications recorded as having a “Draft” status, with only applications recorded as “Submitted” via the agfood.ie portal acceptable.
Application process
All applications must be submitted online via the agfood.ie portal.
Applications can be submitted in a farmer’s own right or by an FAS agent approved to act on their behalf.
Log on to agfood.ie, scroll down and select “National Beef Welfare Scheme”. Note: do not get confused with the heading “National Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme”.On the next screen, click on “select scheme to enter” in the top right, followed by “Beef Welfare Scheme” on the next screen. Click on the dot to the left of “Beef Welfare Scheme” and then “new application”.This will present the number of calves on which payment will be based. Tick the relevant boxes to confirm acceptance of the terms and conditions, and then submit.Once the application is submitted, it will show as “Submitted”. This is apparent for farmers wishing to double-check that they have submitted their application. Payment rates
The scheme offers payment of €35/calf for up to 40 calves for the meal feeding measure. Payment for the IBR measure is based on the number of animals tested with a maximum payment rate of €300 where 20 animals are tested.
Where the IBR component of the measure is not completed, then payment can be achieved on the meal feeding component.
Note, however, that this will mean foregoing the IBR payment plus a 10% penalty on the overall payment were the two measures completed.
Important dates
12 September 2023: The deadline for submission of applications is 23.59pm on 12 September 2023. Applicants should note that there is no late application period associated with this scheme, and applications will not be able to be submitted following the deadline. 1 November 2023: Actions must be undertaken by 1 November 2023.
Blood samples for IBR testing must be submitted to the laboratory by your veterinary practitioner within three
days of collecting and no later than 5.30pm on 1 November 2023.Weaning dates: Participants must record the date of weaning of each animal that is being submitted for payment under the meal feeding action. Where groups of calves are weaned on different dates, then this needs to be recorded. Invoices for meal purchases and movements of weanlings out of the herd must coincide with weaning dates, in terms of ensuring timeframes allow for the feeding of meal four weeks pre-weaning and two weeks after weaning.