Beef Environmental Efficiency Scheme Pilot

Thursday, 8 November 2018

Questions (215)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

215. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the proposals raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding the BEEP, beef environmental efficiency pilot, scheme. [46450/18]

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Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

My Department has provided €20 million in budget 2019 for a new pilot scheme for suckler farmers, specifically aimed at further improving the carbon efficiency of beef production. The Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot (BEEP) will target the weaning efficiency of suckler cows and calves - measuring the liveweight of the calf at weaning as a percentage of the cow's liveweight.

Building on the success of the Beef Data and Genomics Programme, the data collected will also be a valuable addition to Ireland's already impressive database on cattle genomics.

Details of the scheme will be announced in due course following further consultation.