Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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30. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of the €20 million beef environmental efficiency pilot scheme introduced in budget 2019; the maximum payment per cow and weanling; when the scheme will open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51169/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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My Department has provided €20 million in budget 2019 for a new pilot scheme for suckler farmers, specifically aimed at further improving the carbon efficiency of beef production. The Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot (BEEP) will target the weaning efficiency of suckler cows and calves - measuring the liveweight of the calf at weaning as a percentage of the cow's liveweight.

Building on the success of the Beef Data and Genomics Programme, the data collected will also be a valuable addition to Ireland's already impressive database on cattle genomics.

Stakeholder consultation is on-going at present and details of the pilot will be announced in early 2019 once this consultation has concluded.

The pilot will open in early spring 2019. The payment per cow is expected to be €40 but will be determined by the number of applicants; the overall budget for the scheme is €20 million.