Ireland's National Dairy Beef Weighing Scheme Faces Budget Constraints
The Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has announced a reduction in the number of eligible calves for payment under the National Dairy Beef Weighing Scheme. Initially, the scheme allowed payments for up to 50 calves per farmer, but this has been reduced to 31 due to budget constraints. Over 305,000 calves were weighed by the deadline of November 1.
The scheme operates with a budget of €4 million, and the payment rate is maintained at €20 per calf. Consequently, the maximum payment a farmer can receive has decreased from €1,000 to €620, marking a 38% reduction. These payments are expected to be issued this week.
This cut follows similar reductions in the National Beef Welfare Scheme and the National Sheep Welfare Scheme earlier this month. Payment rates in these schemes were also reduced due to oversubscription, with the NBWS payments dropping from €75 to €67 per calf and the NSWS from €13 to €11.50 per ewe.
The reduction in payments has drawn criticism from farm organizations. The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA) expressed disappointment, stating that it is an injustice to farmers who have invested in their calves. The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association (ICMSA) also voiced concerns, highlighting the negative impact on farmers' cash flow amid reduced milk cheques.
Michael O'Connell of the ICMSA urged the government to honor the initial payment conditions, emphasizing the importance of supporting the dairy beef industry. He warned that such budgetary adjustments could undermine farmers' confidence in participating in these schemes.
