IFA livestock chair Angus Woods has called on Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed to extend the application deadline for the BEEP scheme until 1 March.

The scheme closed on Friday after a three-week application period, which Woods said was "far too short".

“Minister Creed needs to ensure that the BEEP scheme is a strong success and he must extend the application period to give every farmer the opportunity to apply,” he added.

Applications

The appears to have been a surge in last-minute applications, with the IFA reporting 400,000 cows applied for by 17,000 farmers on Friday evening.

Earlier in the week, figures obtained by the Irish Farmers Journal showed only 270,000 cows had been registered. Around 500,000 sucklers are estimated to be eligible for the scheme, which offers a €40 payment per animal for weighing records.

Although he said this was "not enough," Woods encouraged farmers to participate in BEEP.

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