A NEW national dairy beef weighing scheme (NDBWS) to support farmers rearing progeny from the dairy herd has opened.
The €4m scheme will require participants to weigh eligible calves and submit weight data to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation. To qualify for payment, liveweight data must be submitted for a minimum of five calves in a herd and for a maximum of 50. All calves must be at least 12 weeks old at the time of weighing. Weight data should be submitted within seven days of weighing and before November 1st. Farmers should note that they will only be paid on the number of calves in respect of which they submit liveweight data.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon said the scheme ‘will target farmers rearing dairy beef progeny from the dairy herd, whether they are dairy farmers rearing their own calves or non-dairy farmers rearing dairy beef calves.
A successful dairy beef strategy will improve the resilience of the sector to future shocks, with additional benefits for calf health and welfare.’
Applications for the 2025 NDBWS must be lodged online through agfood.ie before midnight May 15th. Late applications will be accepted, subject to payment deductions, until June 9th.
