The latest figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine show there were 13,931 applications submitted to the National Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme. This is over double the figure of approximately 6,500 participants in 2022 and 2021.

Farmers can still apply to the scheme but such applications submitted since the deadline of 2 May will be subject to a late application penalty of 1% per working day. The penalty as of Thursday 18 May stands at 12%. Late applications can be submitted until 23.59pm on Saturday 27 May.

Reports indicate the sharp increase in applications has been driven partly by the potential for a payment of €1,000 per holding and a greater awareness of the scheme among farmers. The increased levels of awareness have been helped by more coverage of schemes surrounding the introduction of the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027.

The payment rate of €20/calf remains the same as in 2022 and in 2021 but the number of calves eligible for payment has increased by 10 calves on 2022 and by 30 calves on 2021.

Funds of €5m have been allocated to the scheme from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve. It now looks likely that additional funds will be required to avoid a linear cut being applied to payments, which is listed in the terms and conditions as possibly being used in the case of the scheme being oversubscribed.

The scheme also failed to utilise the funding of €5m allocated in the last two years with in the region of just €2m paid out in 2021 and over €3.5m in 2022 so it is possible additional funds are already available.

Calf eligibility

Male calves sired by a dairy breed or male or female calves sired by a beef breed and born to a dairy dam are eligible. The payment of €20/calf is in return for weighing and submission of weights to ICBF. Calves must be at least 12 weeks of age at the time of weighing and be registered in the herd profile of the holding they are being weighed on for a minimum of 10 days prior to the date of weighing. Calves eligible for payment in 2023 are those born between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023.

To be deemed eligible for payment a herd must weigh at least five calves. Where there are more than 50 calves in a herd there is no obligation to weigh in excess of the 50 calves eligible for maximum payment. The terms and conditions state weights should be submitted within seven days of weighing and no later than 5.30pm on 1 November 2023.