ICMSA flag next Wednesday as ‘Deadline Day’ for National Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme - Kilkenny Farming

The Chairperson of ICMSA’s Livestock Committee has asked farmers to note that the closing date for this year’s applications to the National Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme is next Wednesday, November 1.

Des Morrison said that the scheme is gathering momentum despite what he said was the Government’s chronic underfunding of a scheme that he was adamant ‘ticked all the boxes on sustainability, emissions, profitability, and practicality’.

Mr Morrison said that €20 per eligible calf would be paid up to a maximum of 50 calves giving applicants €1000 provided the relatively straightforward terms of the scheme were adhered to and applications made before next Wednesday.

“Everyone knows that ICMSA was the sponsoring organisation of this scheme, and we still hold that this is an obvious route to the greater integration between the dairy and beef sectors that everyone recognises is already underway and actually needs to be accelerated. ICMSA has lobbied the Department ceaselessly to get behind this scheme because it moves us forward on several fronts and for a very modest outlay. The scheme has been heavily subscribed in the last few years – even with the Department’s incredibly meagre funding – because farmers see where this can work and they know they can rely on ICMSA’s support for the scheme”, explained Mr Morrison.

“This can work and will work, and we know that farmers will see the value and profits in where this can go. We just want to give everyone a timely reminder that it’s next Wednesday that is the cut-off day for applications and supporting details to be supplied to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF). We’d urge applicants to look over their cases and make sure the details are correct before submitting in good time”, he concluded.