Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir has announced that the new Suckler Cow Scheme for farmers in Northern Ireland will commence on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.
The scheme forms part of the beef sustainability package under the Sustainable Agriculture Programme.
According to Minister Muir, this package will deliver 25% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions from agriculture by 2027, if the uptake levels and targets within the scheme are met.
The scheme also aims to improve breeding management practices through reducing the age at first calving and shorter calving intervals over a four-year period.
Suckler Cow Scheme
The phased implementation period of the scheme includes a maximum age at first calving for suckler heifers of 34 months, reducing to 29 months in year four.
The maximum calving interval in year one will be 415 days, reducing to 385 days in year four.
The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) will provide focused knowledge transfer programmes to help farmers to achieve the husbandry standards necessary to meet the scheme conditions and targets.
To be eligible for the scheme, farmers must have claimed and be eligible for the Farm Sustainability Transition Payment in 2025 and the Farm Sustainability Payment from 2026 onwards.
A payment rate of £100 will be made for each eligible calving event and a Northern Ireland quantitative limit of 222,000 calving events will apply in each scheme year.
Eligible farm businesses must opt in to the Suckler Cow Scheme to receive payment and can do so from April 1, 2025 via the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) website.
While farmers can opt in at any time, they must have opted in between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026 to receive payment for scheme year 1.
If farm businesses opt in and do not have any eligible calving events in that scheme year, Minister Muir confirmed that no penalties will apply.
If a farmer has opted in, they will receive a payment for eligible calving events each year thereafter, provided all eligibility criteria have been met in that scheme year.
Sustainability
“This scheme plays an important role in supporting our farm businesses on a journey of change ensuring both environmental and economic sustainability and is vital as we continue our journey to net zero,” Minister Muir said.
“I would encourage farm businesses to avail of this opportunity and engage with the department on how best to adapt their on-farm practices to meet the targets set for the scheme,” he added.
If farmers require further help or guidance with an application, they can contact DAERA’s Advisory Service helpline on 0300 200 7848.
