This year’s National Beef Welfare Scheme (NBWS) is now open, with an increased budget to allow for a 50% higher payment per calf.
Last year, if all actions were completed under the scheme, €50/eligible calf was available.
However, this has now risen to €75/calf if participating farmers complete an extra action, which is either silage testing or faecal egg testing.
In addition, the number of eligible calves for payment has risen from 40 to 45 this year.
Overall, the maximum payment available per herd is up just over 68%. The top payment per herd is now €3,375 in 2025, compared with €2,000 in 2024.
Meal feeding remains the mandatory action, with a €35/head payment on offer. Pneumonia or clostridial vaccination continues as a voluntary action at €15/head.
It is joined now by a second voluntary action – silage testing or faecal egg testing – but only one of these can be chosen. This new element is worth €25/calf.
All actions are available up to a maximum of 45 calves. Calves deemed eligible for payment are those born between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025.
The closing date for applications to the scheme is Wednesday 24 September, with applications to be lodged through agfood.ie. The Department has warned there is no facility for late payments.
The Department of Agriculture added that payments will commence to cleared cases in December 2025.
Total budget
The total budget for the scheme has increased from €20m to €28m.
Suckler farmers can simultaneously participate in both the NBWS and the five-year Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP).
Farmers who take part in both will be eligible to earn up to €225 per cow-calf pair for the first 22 pairs in a herd.
The Department said participants are reminded to retain copies of receipts for the meal feeding, vaccination and testing actions.
They should maintain these records and submit them, if requested by the Department, to facilitate efficient processing of payments.
NBWS participants who are also participating in the parasite control consult under the Targeted Advisory Service on Animal Health (TASAH) cannot select the faecal count option in the 2025 NBWS.
The Department has cautioned that in the event of the scheme being oversubscribed, a reduction in the maximum number of animals eligible for payment may be applied on one or more actions.
Actions
Under the meal feeding action, calves must receive meal supplementation for a period of at least four weeks pre-weaning and two weeks post-weaning, to reduce the stress at weaning time.
For pneumonia vaccination, the terms are not be specific and allow farmers implement the most suitable vaccination programme for their farm.
Clostridial vaccination will require a full course consisting of a primary and booster vaccines. Farmers can carry out both actions, but will receive payment on one action.
For the faecal egg testing, farmers must carry out two faecal tests with a minimum of four weeks between each test for specified parasites and submit it for testing.
If choosing the forage testing instead, farmers must take three forage samples and submit for testing.
For the testing action, a record must be kept by each participant on the purchase and use of test kits.
Test kits must be purchased no later than 13 October 2025 and samples must be submitted to a suitable laboratory.
For all actions, participants must retain copies of all receipts of purchase.
As per previous iterations of the scheme, the number of calves for vaccination cannot be greater than the number selected for the mandatory action, meal feeding. However, it can be lower.
For the silage of faecal testing, the number of calves must equal the number selected for meal feeding.
Those in a single herd farm partnership are under the 45 eligible calf limit. However, those in a two-herd farm partnership can submit 45 calves per herd, a total of 90 calves. Meanwhile, a three-herd farm partnership can, again, submit 45 calves per herd, a total of 135 calves.
The NBWS proved popular in 2024, with the number of applications increasing by over 7,000 herds to 23,720.
Full terms and conditions of the scheme are available here.
Read more
Opening of €75/calf beef welfare scheme imminent
This year’s National Beef Welfare Scheme (NBWS) is now open, with an increased budget to allow for a 50% higher payment per calf.
Last year, if all actions were completed under the scheme, €50/eligible calf was available.
However, this has now risen to €75/calf if participating farmers complete an extra action, which is either silage testing or faecal egg testing.
In addition, the number of eligible calves for payment has risen from 40 to 45 this year.
Overall, the maximum payment available per herd is up just over 68%. The top payment per herd is now €3,375 in 2025, compared with €2,000 in 2024.
Meal feeding remains the mandatory action, with a €35/head payment on offer. Pneumonia or clostridial vaccination continues as a voluntary action at €15/head.
It is joined now by a second voluntary action – silage testing or faecal egg testing – but only one of these can be chosen. This new element is worth €25/calf.
All actions are available up to a maximum of 45 calves. Calves deemed eligible for payment are those born between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025.
The closing date for applications to the scheme is Wednesday 24 September, with applications to be lodged through agfood.ie. The Department has warned there is no facility for late payments.
The Department of Agriculture added that payments will commence to cleared cases in December 2025.
Total budget
The total budget for the scheme has increased from €20m to €28m.
Suckler farmers can simultaneously participate in both the NBWS and the five-year Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP).
Farmers who take part in both will be eligible to earn up to €225 per cow-calf pair for the first 22 pairs in a herd.
The Department said participants are reminded to retain copies of receipts for the meal feeding, vaccination and testing actions.
They should maintain these records and submit them, if requested by the Department, to facilitate efficient processing of payments.
NBWS participants who are also participating in the parasite control consult under the Targeted Advisory Service on Animal Health (TASAH) cannot select the faecal count option in the 2025 NBWS.
The Department has cautioned that in the event of the scheme being oversubscribed, a reduction in the maximum number of animals eligible for payment may be applied on one or more actions.
Actions
Under the meal feeding action, calves must receive meal supplementation for a period of at least four weeks pre-weaning and two weeks post-weaning, to reduce the stress at weaning time.
For pneumonia vaccination, the terms are not be specific and allow farmers implement the most suitable vaccination programme for their farm.
Clostridial vaccination will require a full course consisting of a primary and booster vaccines. Farmers can carry out both actions, but will receive payment on one action.
For the faecal egg testing, farmers must carry out two faecal tests with a minimum of four weeks between each test for specified parasites and submit it for testing.
If choosing the forage testing instead, farmers must take three forage samples and submit for testing.
For the testing action, a record must be kept by each participant on the purchase and use of test kits.
Test kits must be purchased no later than 13 October 2025 and samples must be submitted to a suitable laboratory.
For all actions, participants must retain copies of all receipts of purchase.
As per previous iterations of the scheme, the number of calves for vaccination cannot be greater than the number selected for the mandatory action, meal feeding. However, it can be lower.
For the silage of faecal testing, the number of calves must equal the number selected for meal feeding.
Those in a single herd farm partnership are under the 45 eligible calf limit. However, those in a two-herd farm partnership can submit 45 calves per herd, a total of 90 calves. Meanwhile, a three-herd farm partnership can, again, submit 45 calves per herd, a total of 135 calves.
The NBWS proved popular in 2024, with the number of applications increasing by over 7,000 herds to 23,720.
Full terms and conditions of the scheme are available here.
Read more
Opening of €75/calf beef welfare scheme imminent
SHARING OPTIONS