Beef Welfare Scheme open for applications

The National Beef Welfare Scheme 2025 is now open for applications to suckler farmers – those who have eligible calves born to eligible suckler cows in the period 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025. To be eligible, you must have submitted a BISS application in 2025 and you must be an active farmer.

There are three actions within the scheme and two out of three actions are voluntary. The options and rates of payment are:

Action 1 – Meal Feeding (Mandatory): the rate of payment is €35 per eligible calf up to a maximum of 45 eligible calves. Participants must introduce meal feeding for a period of 4 weeks pre-weaning and 2 weeks post-weaning to reduce the stress on calves at weaning time.

Action 2 – Vaccination (Optional): The rate of payment is €15 per eligible calf up to a maximum of 45 eligible calves. Participants must implement a vaccination programme against clostridial diseases and / or calf pneumonia in suckler calves and record details of the vaccination.

Action 3 – Faecal Testing / Forage Testing (Optional): The rate of payment is €25 per eligible calf up to a maximum of 45 eligible calves. Participants must carry out two (2) faecal tests (with a minimum of four (4) weeks between each test or specified parasites and submit for testing or take three (3) forage samples and submit for testing

Payments will commence to cleared cases in December 2025.

Applications must be submitted through agfood.ie. The closing date for applications is 11.59pm on 24 September next. Terms and conditions are available at agfood.ie/nationalbeefwelfarescheme2025. Contact your local Teagasc office for more information, Mullingar 0449340721.

Submitted by John Conway, B&T drystock advisor