12 May 2025
Time running out to apply for key schemes
Farmers need to be aware that a number of importance scheme application deadlines will take place this week.
Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS)
Farmers are reminded that the closing date for BISS applications is Thursday, May 15, 2025. During the application process, farmers can apply online for all elements of direct payments, such as BISS, Eco-Schemes, Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers, Protein Aid, National Reserve, or transferring of entitlements.
When applying for BISS, ensure that you have correctly applied for the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC), ECO, and continued participation in Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers, if applicable. Annual payment claims for the Straw Incorporation Measure, ACRES and the Organic Farming Scheme can also be made online, along with the Multi-species Sward Measure and the Red Clover Silage Measure.
CAP Strategic Plan Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme
A measure to support dairy farmers to improve animal health and welfare of the national dairy herd by using genetically superior beef sires for breeding dairy-beef calves, the CSP Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme offers payment rates of €20/eligible calf up to a maximum of 50 calves per holding.
To be eligible for payment, participants are required to use AI straws or stock bulls with a minimum rating of three stars on the ICBF Dairy Beef Index (DBI) and on the beef sub-index of the DBI.
Although the 7,612 farmers who participated in the scheme in 2024 will automatically be rolled over, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine recently announced that the scheme would open to new entrants, which is open to applications via agfood.ie until May 15, 2025.
For the full terms and conditions of the CSP Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme, visit here.
Dairy Beef Measure
Not to be confused with the CSP Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme, the National Dairy Beef Weighing Scheme has returned to the scheme ranks after a hiatus in 2024.
Open to dairy farmers rearing their own calves or non-dairy farmers rearing dairy beef calves, this scheme offers payment rates of €20 per eligible calf, up to a maximum of 50 calves. To be eligible for payment, participants must weigh eligible calves and submit weight data to the ICBF.
Additionally, these calves must have been:
- At least 12 weeks of age at the time of weighing and has been registered on the holding s/he is being weighed on for a minimum of 10 days prior to the date of weighing.
- Born between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025.
Applications for the 2025 Dairy Beef Weighing Scheme must be lodged online through agfood.ie before midnight on Thursday, 15 May 2025. Late applications will be accepted, subject to payment deductions, until midnight on Monday, 9 June 2025.
More details on the National Beef Weighing Scheme are available here.
Margaret Brennan, Assistant Principal Officer over Beef Schemes with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, joined Catherine Egan on a recent episode of the Beef Edge podcast to discuss the new Dairy Beef Weighing Scheme and to give an update on all things scheme related.
Listen in below:
National Sheep Welfare Scheme
Affording sheep farmers the opportunity to draw down an additional €13/ewe by completing three actions – two mandatory and one voluntary, the 2025 National Sheep Welfare Scheme is currently open to applications.
A separate scheme from the Sheep Improvement Scheme, the 2025 National Sheep Welfare Scheme consists of straightforward measures that are practical to implement on all sheep farms.
Farmers interested in applying to the 2025 National Sheep Welfare Scheme must do so before 23.59 on 15 May 2025.
Further details on the actions involved in National Sheep Welfare Scheme are available here.
Sheep Improvement Scheme
Another CSP Scheme, the Sheep Improvement Scheme is designed to enhance animal health and welfare in the Irish sheep industry. Offering payment rates of €12/ewe, the scheme is currently open to new entrants. Those wishing to enter the Sheep Improvement Scheme for the first time must submit an application before the closing date on 29 April 2025.
David Buckley from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine joins Ciaran Lynch on this week’s OviCast podcast to discuss the 2025 National Sheep Welfare Scheme and the Sheep Improvement Scheme.
For further details, listen in below:
Nitrates Derogation application and Dairy Band confirmation
Farmers seeking a Nitrates Derogation in 2025 also need to be aware that the deadline for submitting an application is 15 May 2025.
Additionally, dairy farmers must also confirm their herd’s dairy cow band for 2025 through ICBF before 15 May 2025. This process will also allow farmers to opt-in to receive recognition for managing crude protein in the concentrates fed to their cows across the year.
Where dairy farmers fail to confirm their herds band before this date, their herd’s band for 2025 will be defaulted to the highest excretion rate band of 106kg N/dairy cow for 2025, until they submit appropriate information to the department to confirm their herd’s band.