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Suckler Welfare Scheme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 May 2020

Wednesday, 13 May 2020

Ceisteanna (927)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

927. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated cost of increasing the payment under the suckler cow scheme to €200 per cow for the first 15 cows in the herd; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4919/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

It should be noted that payments under the Beef Data and Genomics Programme are area-based and not linked directly to animal numbers. Applying an animal related payment based on existing participation rates for the Beef Data and Genomics Programme, the total additional cost of increasing the payment as described based on current participation rates would be over €63.5M annually.

The Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) provides Irish beef farmers with up to €300 million in funding over the current Rural Development Programme (RDP) and provides a high degree of important performance data to beef farmers to drive efficiency through facilitating better decision making.

My Department has rolled out a range of other schemes from which beef farmers benefit, as part of the €4 billion RDP including GLAS, ANCs and Knowledge Transfer Groups. Suckler farmers also benefit, of course, from the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and Greening payments under CAP Pillar I.

In 2019, a further €20 million of exchequer funding was made available through the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme, to encourage farmers to measure the weaning efficiency of their suckler cows.

The Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) provided temporary exceptional adjustment aid in 2019 to farmers in the beef sector in Ireland subject to the conditions set out in EU Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1132. Over 34,500 farmers had applied for BEAM at its closing date of 20 September, payments of €78 million issued.

In recognition of the important income support role played by the ANC scheme, the total allocation for the scheme has been increased by €48m over the last two budgets (€25m in Budget 2018 and €23m in Budget 2019). In both 2018 and 2019, payment rates in the scheme were increased, with a targeting of increases corresponding to the different level of constraint in the different categories of land in the scheme.

I have already provided an additional €85m in supports for the beef sector in Budget 2020, on top of the €20 million provided last year for the BEEP pilot. This includes a €45 million provision for the extension of the BDGP (Beef data and genomics programme) This year’s BEEP scheme – the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme (Sucklers), will deliver a maximum payment of €90 per suckler cow for the first 10 cows, and €80/head thereafter. This extra funding is available to suckler farmers right now. It is a straightforward scheme, which can deliver a significant cash-flow injection, and I would encourage all suckler farmers to apply before the deadline of Friday 15 May.

My Department is providing a lo-call telephone helpdesk for extended hours this week to assist farmers with their applications for BEEP-S and for BPS, telephone 0761 06 44 20.

BDGP Participatio n

2020 participation total Herds

24,396.00

Total Animals 

   541,047

Average number of sucklers/Herd

22

Payments

95 for first 10

23,176,200

80 for remainder

21,468,480

Annual total

44,644,680

 200/animal

108,209,400

Additional funds required annually

63,564,720

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