The Dairy Beef Weighing Scheme is a step towards the development of a vibrant dairy beef sector, according to the ICMSA.
Chairperson of ICMSA’s Livestock Committee, Michael O’Connell, said that despite the “very modest” sums involved nevertheless the scheme represents a “win-win-win”.
The additional €20 per head is available to either the breeder of the calf who keeps the calf for a defined period or the rearer of the calf.
Explaining that both parties, breeder and rearer, needed to be paid, Mr O’Connell said calf-to-beef systems have become very specialised and involve a slow return on investment due to the timeframe between buying calves and time of slaughter.
He described the Weighing Scheme as a “carbon copy” of the 2023 CSP Dairy Beef Scheme requiring a “straightforward” online box-ticking exercise.
Noting the budget allocation of €4million made available to the scheme which will cater for a maximum of 200,000 calves, Mr O’Connell said there was a distinct possibility that each farmer may not receive payment on all eligible calves. “Bluntly, we are disappointed by this kind of penny-pinching, and it’s emblematic of the ‘two-steps-forward-one step-back’ attitude the Department has to a sector that could really make a difference on a number of fronts.”
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