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One of the most frequently asked questions about the new €50m beef scheme is whether cattle exported to Northern Ireland for direct slaughter are eligible for the €100/head payment.
The Department of Agriculture has confirmed to the Irish Farmers Journal that cattle exported live out of the country are not eligible for the payment. A Department spokesperson said: “Eligible cattle are those recorded on the Department’s AIM system as presented for slaughter in the reference period 1 February 2020 to 12 June 2020. Therefore, animals exported live will not qualify as eligible animals for the scheme.”
Beef finisher blow
The news will come as a blow to beef finishers who have sent cattle north in the last few months. The Northern Ireland beef market has been performing very well and has been consistently €0.20/kg to €0.30/kg ahead of southern prices in the last few months.
Such was the demand in Northern Ireland, factory agents moved south to source cattle on farm and in marts across the country. Many suckler farmers who sold finished cattle in marts during spring will now be wondering who bought them.
If they went north, the €100 is gone but if they were purchased by a southern-based buyer and slaughtered within 30 days, they are eligible and the suckler farmer will get the €100/head payment once an application to the scheme is made.
Over the last few months there has been a massive increase in exports of cattle for direct slaughter to Northern Ireland. This was due to better prices and a scarcity of factory-fit cattle north of the border.
From 1 January to 27 July 2020 there have been 10,928 cattle exported to Northern Ireland for direct slaughter, up 70% on the 2019 figure of 6436 cattle for the same period.
If we look at the reference period of 1 February 2020 to 12 June 2020, there were 5,449 cattle exported to NI for direct slaughter made up of 2,654 steers, 2,722 cows and heifers and 73 bulls. Including these animals in the scheme would mean a cost of €549,500 to the beef aid fund.
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