Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, today reminded suckler farmers that the Beef Data and Genomics Programme  closes for applications at the end of the week, on Friday 29^th May. Over 12,600 applications had already been received by Tuesday morning.

Speaking today, Minister Coveney said that this programme was a unique opportunity for applicants to receive significant financial support to improve their own efficiency and profitability of their herds, “Some €300 million has been provided for the Beef Data and Genomics Programme over the lifetime of the Rural Development Programme.  I am anxious to ensure that payments are made to as many farmers as possible this year.  The programme will provide applicants with the tools to improve the breeding in their herds in a way that can increase female fertility, reduce the age of first calving, make calving easier, facilitate a reduction in the calving interval, and reduce the cost of bringing calves to weaning.”

He continued, “These trends are going backwards at present and this is costing suckler farmers millions of Euros every year. Getting costs down and improving herd efficiency is the key to improving profitability and this is a unique opportunity for farmers to receive significant financial support in pursuit of these objectives. I would remind farmers that in order to receive this funding, applications must be submitted to the Department by this Friday, 29^th May. ”

Acknowledging the concerns of some farmers about elements of the programme, Minister Coveney said that many of these were based on misunderstanding of the terms and conditions. He repeated his assurance that there was no question of clawback of payments for minor non compliances, or of penalties for BDGP non compliances being applied across other schemes.

On the question of land retention, he pointed out that on the basis of average stocking rates, the vast majority of suckler farmers would have more than double the land area required to draw down their full entitlements under the scheme and therefore that there would be substantial flexibility in terms of lost leases etc. There are also provisions permitting participants to transfer land by gift or inheritance to relatives without penalty, provided the contract obligations also move to the transferee, and of course force majeure applies in some instances where commitments under the programme cannot be complied with due to circumstances outside the farmer’s control. 

On the question of the use of 2014 as a base year for determining the payment, Minister Coveney said that the provisions allow the use of 2015 as an alternative base on an exceptional basis for new entrants or applicants impacted by force majeure circumstances in 2014, or by persons who would otherwise be excluded from the programme on the basis that they had substantially reduced the size of their herds since 2014.  Such farmers should apply for the scheme before the 29^th May deadline and the decision regarding whether to use 2015 as basis, where appropriate, will be decided after the closing date for applications.

Concluding, Minister Coveney reminded potential applicants that there would be time to withdraw from the scheme without penalty after the submission of applications, “I want to assure potential applicants that there will be time to withdraw from this scheme after the date of application, if they feel it is not for them. ICBF will be in a position to provide data to farmers on where they stand in relation to the genetic index, and at that point farmers will be able to make a more informed decision on whether to remain in the programme. I am confident that the vast majority of applicants will be greatly reassured by the data they receive from ICBF, but if their applications are not received by 29^th May, they will not have the option to join the programme this year, or receive payments.”

 View Press Release as a PDF:  DAFMPR 92/2015 (pdf 369Kb) 

Date Released: 26 May 2015