FARMERS in the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme [SCEP] who haven’t yet completed their mandatory online training programme have been advised this week that the deadline is now less than three months away.

Any farmer who doesn’t complete the seven-module online training programme will be removed from the scheme as well as having to pay back any monies they received in SCEP so far.

Approximately 11,000 farmers out of 17,000 in the scheme have not yet completed the training course which has a deadline date of Friday, November 15, 2024.

This week the Irish Farmers Journal reported that the Dept. of Agriculture had confirmed only 6,000 farmers in the scheme had fully or partially completed the training programme.

Connacht IFA Regional Chair, Brendan Golden, told the Farming Tribune that farmers in the SCEP scheme now needed ‘as a matter of urgency’ to prioritise the training programme.

“This is not something to put on the long-finger. SCEP payments are a vital part of income for farmers involved in sucklers. Make arrangements now to get the training course done,” said Brendan Golden.

The programme consists of seven modules to be completed online with each one lasting for approximately 30 minutes – modules 1 and 2 must be taken first and in order. Access to the training portal is at: www.sceptraining.ie

According to the Dept. of Agriculture, farmers in SCEP and the Beef Welfare Scheme will be eligible for a maximum annual payment of €200 per cow/calf pair for the first 22 pairs – a total of €4,400. Almost €5 million in SCEP payments were made last month to 17,000 farmers.

Brendan Golden advised farmers who mightn’t be familiar with the technology to complete the training courses to seek assistance, adding that the modules were straightforward and didn’t have to be completed all together.

“The last thing we want to see is any farmer currently in SCEP being thrown out of the scheme because they haven’t completed the training programme,” he said.

He also advised that the Beef Welfare Scheme for 2024 was now open to applicants with a mandatory meal feeding action and an optional vaccination element. Weanlings must be meal feed for four weeks before weaning and two weeks post-weaning to qualify for a payment of €35 per head. A further €15 per head payment is available if farmers opt to vaccinate their calves.

“Farmers just have to be careful to ensure that their weanling aren’t sold within two weeks of being weaned as this would come inside their two-week period of meal feeding post-weaning,” said Brendan Golden.

Pictured: Connacht IFA Regional Chair, Brendan Golden