IFA Welcome Suckler Welfare Scheme

IRELAND - IFA National Livestock Committee Chairman John Bryan this week welcomed the announcement from the Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan that application forms for the new €80 Suckler Cow Welfare and Quality scheme will be sent to all suckler farmers before Christmas.

18 December 2007

2 minute read

Europe

John Bryan said the €80 Suckler Cow Welfare and Quality scheme negotiated by the IFA is a major positive boost to the beef and livestock sector. He said the scheme is worth €250m over the next five years.

Encouraging all suckler farmers to make an immediate application under the scheme, John Bryan said farmers have only one opportunity to apply for this scheme between January 1st and March 31st 2008. He said suckler farmers who fail to apply this year will not have another opportunity and therefore it is essential that all suckler farmers apply as soon as possible.

The IFA National livestock leader said the application form is extremely simple and only requires the applicant to sign their name and date the form, and return it to the Department of Agriculture.

John Bryan said when the Department register applicants under the scheme they will send out special animal events booklets to producers enabling them to register calves and complete other data under the ICBF animal registration system, which in turn will allow the payment of €80 per suckler cow under the new scheme.

The IFA livestock leader said there are seven basic requirements, which suckler producers must comply with to qualify for the €80 per cow. He said these include calf registration, de-budding, castration where appropriate, minimum calving age, appropriate weaning procedures including the introduction of meal feeding, animal events recording and training and education.

John Bryan said the Department of Agriculture in conjunction with Teagasc will organise a series of meetings to inform farmers of all of the details under the scheme commencing in mid January.

Mr Bryan said payment under the scheme will commence as soon as the first group of animals have been properly weaned and the Department of Agriculture has confirmed that payment will continue on an ongoing basis as animals complete the procedures and criteria laid down under the scheme.

He said the new €80 Suckler Cow scheme, negotiated by IFA, is the first of its kind in any country in the European Union. He said it is very important that all suckler farmers make an application under the scheme at the earliest possible date in January 2008.