Further flexibility has been given to farmers in the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP), who may be affected by the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) evaluation changes which came into effect on 28 November 2023.

This additional flexibility means that female offspring of genotyped females in SCEP herds that do not become eligible for SCEP on their own genomic evaluation, may become eligible if their sire and dam meet a minimum requirement on the September 2023 ICBF evaluation.

That is where the dam was three-, four- or five-star and the sire four- or five-star on the replacement index, this female offspring will be considered SCEP eligible even if, when they are genotyped, they are not evaluated as four- or five-star in their own right.

This flexibility, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said, would exist for all years of the SCEP programme.

Such females will retain this SCEP eligible status where they are traded to another SCEP herd.

However, if they are traded to a non-SCEP herd, they will lose this SCEP eligible status.

“I have listened to feedback from stakeholders in recent months and I believe the flexibility I am announcing today provides assurance to SCEP participants that they will not be negatively impacted by the evaluation index changes which were implemented in November 2023," said the Minister.

Reference year change

The Department of Agriculture also advises that SCEP participants can now amend their 2024 yearly reference number through their agfood account.

This facilitates farmers who wish to alter their commitments under the programme requirements to meet their individual needs or changing circumstances.

The window to amend 2024 yearly reference numbers is open until 11.59pm on 19 February 2024.

Any changes made to the 2024 reference number (either increases or decreases) will have an associated impact on the requirements or actions to be carried out by the participants and on the maximum payment that the participant will be eligible to draw down later in 2024. Once an application to amend the 2024 yearly reference number is submitted online, no amendments can be made.

For queries on the changes to the index, please contact the ICBF on 023-882 0452 or dafmschemes@icbf.com. For SCEP queries, please contact SCEP at scep@agriculture.gov.ie.