The one-year Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot (BEEP) scheme is now open for applications from suckler farmers.
The application closing date online or via express/registered post is 22 February.
To be eligible to apply, you must be an active herd owner and only cows belonging to a beef breed or sired by a beef breed bull are eligible.
BEEP is designed to identify the weaning efficiency of a suckler cow
According to the terms and conditions of the scheme, the objective of BEEP is to further increase economic and environmental efficiency in the suckler herd through improvement in the quantity and quality of performance data that is collected.
BEEP is designed to identify the weaning efficiency of a suckler cow.
The weaning efficiency of a suckler cow is the liveweight of her calf at weaning as a percentage of her own liveweight.
Both cows and their unweaned calves must be weighed on the same day to quantify the efficiency.
Requirements
Funding
The €20m funding available will allow for payment equivalent of up to a maximum of €40 per calf, based on costs incurred and income foregone.
If the scheme is oversubscribed a linear cut may be applied.
The Department will be in contact with the ICBF regarding the submission of data and payments will be made to approved applicants in December 2019.
The Department says because this is a one-year Exchequer-funded pilot, payments must be made in 2019 and time lines need to be adhered to as a result.