The Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) requires farmers to genotype, detail their replacement strategy and complete a carbon navigator.

It is aimed at making a positive contribution to farmer profitability and reducing the greenhouse gas intensity of Ireland’s beef production.

In 2017 the scheme was worth €37m to over 21,000 farmers.

A county-by-county breakdown analysis of the programme by IFA shows that Galway is the county that most benefits from the scheme payments.

Last year farmers in Galway in the scheme received some €3.6m in payments, followed by farmers in Clare with €3m in payments and Mayo with €2.8m in payments.

Farmers in Louth receive the least amount of money at €400,000.

Commenting on the figures, IFA Livestock chair Angus Woods said IFA secured €50m in funding for the scheme in 2018 and this provides a significant financial boost to suckler farmers and to the suckler sector, which is vitally important to every parish across the country.

He said incomes on suckler farms are extremely low and it is vitally important that targeted direct payments are increased to tackle this severe income problem.

IFA has repeatedly called for an increase in the level of funding for suckler cows to be brought up to €200 per cow. The important suckler sector must be strongly supported and prioritised, Angus Woods said, citing an IFA study by UCD which showed that each €1 of support invested in the beef and livestock sector underpins €4.38 in output in the Irish economy.

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