Participants in the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP), who committed to become a Bord Bia Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme (SBLAS) member by 16 October 2023, have just until 22 January 2024 to ensure they are a certified member. Farmers in this category who are not fully certified by 22 January 2024 will be removed from SCEP.

The Department of Agriculture also explains that farmers in this category who have become a certified SBLAS member will not receive payment under SCEP until Bord Bia confirms to the Department that they are certified under SBLAS on 22 January 2024 (subject to compliance with other terms and conditions and requirements of the scheme).

The Department also continues to encourage SCEP participants to complete record-keeping and event-recording as soon as possible. Survey details not submitted for calves born on the holding and their dams for year one of the scheme (1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023) by the deadline of 15 February 2024, will not be accepted thereafter.

Surveys can be completed using farm software providers, via the ICBF online portal (www.icbf.com), or paper-based survey forms are available to be printed from the ICBF website.