Beef Welfare Scheme 2025

The objective of the Beef Welfare Scheme 2025 (BWS) is to further increase the economic efficiency of and enhance animal health and husbandry on suckler farms.

You can apply if you:

• are aged eighteen years or over on the date of submission of the application for participation.
• are the holder of an active herd number with Herd Owner Status. Herd Keeper is not acceptable.
• are farming a holding in respect of which a Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) Application is submitted in 2025 to the Department.
• are a suckler beef farmer i.e. have eligible calves born to eligible suckler cows in the period 1 July 2024 – 30 June 2025.
• are an “Active Farmer” as defined in the Terms and Conditions.

Action 1 – Meal Feeding (Mandatory Action)

Participants must introduce meal feeding for a period of 4 weeks pre-weaning and 2 weeks post-weaning to reduce the stress on calves at weaning time.

Action 2 – Vaccination (Optional Action)

If action 2, vaccination, is selected at application stage, participants must implement a vaccination programme against clostridial diseases and / or calf pneumonia in suckler calves and record details of the vaccination.

Action 3 – Faecal Testing / Forage Testing (Optional Action)

If action 3, Faecal Testing / Forage Testing is selected at application stage, participants must:

• carry out two (2) faecal tests (with a minimum of four (4) weeks between each test) for specified parasites and submit for testing

or

• take three (3) forage samples and submit for testing.

Action 1 – Meal Feeding (Mandatory): the rate of payment is €35 per eligible calf up to a maximum of 45 eligible calves.

Action 2 – Vaccination (Optional): The rate of payment is €15 per eligible calf up to a maximum of 45 eligible calves.

Action 3 – Faecal Testing / Forage Testing (Optional): The rate of payment is €25 per eligible calf up to a maximum of 45 eligible calves.

Payments will commence to cleared cases in December 2025.

Applications must be made on agfood.ie

The closing date for applications is 23.59:59hrs on 24 September 2025.

This is an outline of the Measure. You must read the Terms and Conditions for full information.