A total of 24,821 farmers applied for Ireland's Beef Welfare Scheme 2026 by the closing date of 23 September, 1.4% more than the 24,476 who applied in 2025, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) said.

Co. Galway had the most applications with 3,040, followed by Co. Mayo with 2,643 and Co. Clare with 1,975. The scheme is worth €28 million and aims to improve economic efficiency and animal health and husbandry on suckler farms.

Meal feeding is the mandatory action: participants must feed meal to calves for four weeks before and two weeks after weaning to reduce weaning stress, for up to €35 per eligible calf, capped at 45 calves.

Two actions are optional. A vaccination programme against clostridial diseases, calf pneumonia or bluetongue pays up to €15 per calf, and faecal testing for parasites (two tests at least four weeks apart) or three forage samples pays up to €25 per calf, each also capped at 45 calves.

DAFM said payments to cleared applications will begin in December 2026. The report is by Kathleen O'Sullivan.

Photo: Rude Health / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Source: Agriland