Suckler Farmers: are you maximising your SCEP payments?
For farmers to maximise their payments under the SCEP, it is essential to complete and meet all actions and requirements.
The Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) introduced in 2023 is a 5-year scheme.
It is now in its 4th year, so as we come nearer to the end of the scheme it is a good time for suckler farmers to review where they are now in relation to scheme targets and ensure that they draw down their full payments over the lifetime of the scheme.
To start there are a number of key requirements that farmers must comply with throughout the duration of the SCEP to ensure they remain in the scheme.
These include:
•Bord Bia SBLAS membership must be maintained for the duration of SCEP participation.
•A minimum of 50% of the yearly reference number should calve down each year. This means for a farmer with a reference number of 20, they should have a minimum of 10 calves born between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. The same applies next year.
•A valid BISS application for 2026 must have being submitted. Failure to comply with any of the above requirements will result in a farmer being removed from the programme and having to re-imburse payments already received.
This re-imbursement gets steeper as we reach years 4 & 5 of the scheme. So, it is critically important if you have reduced suckler numbers in recent years to ensure that you have enough calves registered by 30th June each year to reach 50% of the SCEP yearly reference.
SCEP is paid on a per hectare basis. Farmers in the scheme are paid €225/ha on the first 15 hectares and €180/ha on the remaining hectares.
This works out at a payment of €150 per cow on the first 22 cows and €120 per cow on the remaining cows.
The scheme is built around five mandatory actions. As the scheme progresses some of the targets in these actions have increased so it is good for farmers to re-cap and be aware of any of these new targets.
In years 3 & 4, 85% of calves born must have being sired from a 4- or 5-star eligible bull. In year 5 this target increases to 90%. Therefore, it is important where a stock bull is changed or where a farmer purchased in-calf heifers that this target is still reached.
Applicants are required to ensure that by the 31st October 2027 at least 75% of their yearly reference number are eligible females that are genotyped 4 or 5 star on the Replacement Index at the time of purchase (for replacements brought into the herd) or at the time of genotyping (for those replacements bred within the herd).
Applicants must continue to genotype 70% of their yearly reference number and submit the samples by 30th November each year. This maybe an area of concern for farmers who have reduced suckler cow numbers over the last few years. In this case all cows and females on the farm are maybe genotyped and there may not be enough new calves born to reach the 70% figure and there may be no other cattle on the farm available for genotyping. So, on suckler only farms it is important to ensure there is enough calves born each year to reach the 70% genotyping figure.
This action remains the same in that farmers must weigh at least 80% of the calves born on their farm along with their dams. Calves must be unweaned and a minimum of 50 days at weighing. All weights must be submitted to ICBF by the 1st of November annually.
Applicants are required to complete a range of survey forms collecting data relating to calving details and calf and cow traits throughout the year. Calves born in the herd must be kept on the farm till they are at least 5 months of age. This is one action a number of farmers have failed on in the past in that they have not returned all the survey information and therefore have lost out on over 20% of their annual payment, despite reaching all other targets.
For farmers to maximise their payments under the SCEP, it is essential to complete and meet all actions and requirements. Failure to comply with any of the steps - whether it is the weighting requirement or completing the surveys - can result in reduced payments or no payment. Make sure to keep a track on your herd’s progress to ensure you receive your full payment over the 5-year period of the programme. Use the ICBF website for assistance. Login onto your ICBF home page and view the SCEP Eligibility page to see if you are reaching the required targets.
