The objective of the National Dairy-Beef calf programme is to support decision-making on farms through better quality data on herd performance, to increase the economic and environmental efficiency of beef from the dairy herd, and to facilitate further the integration of the dairy and beef sectors by providing support for farmers who are rearing progeny from the dairy herd.
It is exchequer funded and was initiated in 2021 with a budget of €5 million. It was retained in 2022, with a €5 million budget, with payments for the 2022 scheme scheduled to commence in December 2022.
Details of payments made under the 2021 scheme and applications for 2022 are set out in the table below. Note that not all farmers who applied for the scheme subsequently went ahead and weighed their Dairy beef calves for the scheme.
County
|
2021 Applications
|
2021 Participants
|
2021 Average Payment
|
2022 Applicants
|
CARLOW
|
103
|
81
|
€326
|
152
|
CAVAN
|
296
|
175
|
€317
|
363
|
CLARE
|
413
|
335
|
€313
|
444
|
CORK
|
1566
|
1190
|
€356
|
1797
|
DONEGAL
|
144
|
101
|
€308
|
182
|
DUBLIN
|
13
|
10
|
€316
|
16
|
GALWAY
|
472
|
366
|
€311
|
581
|
KERRY
|
418
|
326
|
€331
|
521
|
KILDARE
|
96
|
69
|
€336
|
86
|
KILKENNY
|
412
|
306
|
€359
|
547
|
LAOIS
|
255
|
200
|
€353
|
335
|
LEITRIM
|
56
|
28
|
€299
|
54
|
LIMERICK
|
556
|
464
|
€357
|
726
|
LONGFORD
|
315
|
159
|
€287
|
281
|
LOUTH
|
48
|
36
|
€326
|
67
|
MAYO
|
232
|
182
|
€305
|
259
|
MEATH
|
207
|
137
|
€355
|
249
|
MONAGHAN
|
236
|
156
|
€309
|
316
|
OFFALY
|
296
|
243
|
€354
|
370
|
ROSCOMMON
|
192
|
141
|
€307
|
230
|
SLIGO
|
103
|
73
|
€311
|
80
|
TIPPERARY
|
830
|
624
|
€365
|
1042
|
WATERFORD
|
206
|
174
|
€362
|
252
|
WESTMEATH
|
326
|
137
|
€325
|
370
|
WEXFORD
|
319
|
244
|
€355
|
358
|
WICKLOW
|
75
|
58
|
€331
|
92
|