The inclusion of Bord Bia quality assurance as an eligibility criteria in the new suckler scheme is frustrating, IFA livestock chair Brendan Golden has said.

The Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) was opened by Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue on Monday 20 March.

Being quality assured is a market requirement and it would be more appropriate that it’s rewarded from the market rather than being imposed on farmers through the scheme, Golden said.

“Bord Bia have a huge job of work to do in facilitating suckler farmers in joining the Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme (SBLAS) and ensuring the scheme requirements of membership are provided by 16 October,” he said.

Ambitious

Golden also said the targets for farmers in this scheme are ambitious and it is critical that the Department of Agriculture provides maximum flexibilities to assist farmers in achieving them.

IFA had raised concerns in relation to the requirement for numbers of calves born to four- or five-star bulls in 2023 on participant farms and recognised the Department provision of a derogation from this in the first year of the scheme.

“Minister McConalogue must confirm all who apply, and meet the eligibility requirements, are accepted into it and paid in full on all of their cows. This commitment was given to me by the minister on his CAP tour of the marts in 2021 and must be honoured,” he said.

It is important every effort is made to maximise suckler farmer participation in the scheme and there can be no question as to the levels of funding to pay all farmers in full, he said.

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Higher than expected payment in new suckler scheme