Suckler Welfare Scheme

1974

any idea when the payments are being made for the Suckler Welfare Scheme?

blue5000

not till next year, thats if it survives the budget

agcons

Last time I enquired I was told not to expect it before April 2010

yessam

I think its being paid next year, but I got paid for 1 yesterday. I dont know whats going on

pakalasa

Jasus, they have to pay this years, even if it is only 40 Euro per head.
Is it going to be scrapped in the budget?

There has been a 6% drop in suckler cow number this year so maybe that might open their eyes a bit.

What gets to me is that every economist you listen to, will tell ya that the only way this country can get out of this mess is to export our way out. Here we have a really viable industry that needs support to maximise it's potential (education of farmers on proper weaning procedures, meal introduction etc).If they do scrap the scheme we will be back to selling straight 'off the cow', pneumonia will rise again and the exporters will find it hard to keep their existing customers.

adne

pakalasa wrote: »

Jasus, they have to pay this years, even if it is only 40 Euro per head.
Is it going to be scrapped in the budget?

There has been a 6% drop in suckler cow number this year so maybe that might open their eyes a bit.

What gets to me is that every economist you listen to, will tell ya that the only way this country can get out of this mess is to export our way out. Here we have a really viable industry that needs support to maximise it's potential (education of farmers on proper weaning procedures, meal introduction etc).If they do scrap the scheme we will be back to selling straight 'off the cow', pneumonia will rise again and the exporters will find it hard to keep their existing customers.

very true....

Rujib1

pakalasa wrote: »

Jasus, they have to pay this years, even if it is only 40 Euro per head.
Is it going to be scrapped in the budget?

There has been a 6% drop in suckler cow number this year so maybe that might open their eyes a bit.

What gets to me is that every economist you listen to, will tell ya that the only way this country can get out of this mess is to export our way out. Here we have a really viable industry that needs support to maximise it's potential (education of farmers on proper weaning procedures, meal introduction etc).If they do scrap the scheme we will be back to selling straight 'off the cow', pneumonia will rise again and the exporters will find it hard to keep their existing customers.

Sad day for farming when farmers have to be educated how wean their stock by the government. If you haven't learned by the time you are 10 years old from the auld fella, it's all the same.
Secondly, from looking around at the marts, this scheme is being treated as nothing other than a joke, by the very same farmers who moan the loudest at it's possible demise due to fainacial constraints in government.
Quite simply, well over 70% of the weanlings in the marts supposed to be managed under the welfare scheme, have come straight off the cow that morning.
Like a lot of government funded schemes both in farming and in other areas, it is treated with total contempt.

Bit like the farm waste management grants for new slatted houses in a way.
The so called grants, ended up not in the farmers pockets, but in the pockets of builders, building product suppliers, etc, because the just jacked up their prices to grab more money.
You can build your average slatted house this year for pretty much the same or maybe less than it would have cost last year after receiving the grant.

Tableman

I see the status of mine show that they have been "Validated for payment". This happened in the last few days. But not sure of anything has gone into my bank account yet.

I agree with the last poster, there should be more checking done on this scheme. Most of the farmers I know are not abiding by it. Although, I also think that the sceme is a bit strict on the disbudding part. According to my vet, they should occur at 4-5 weeks

yessam

i wouldnt go down the road of encouraging more checking. its very easy to find faults around a farm when there inspections are going on. remember these inspections are being funded by the penaltys they put on you.

adne

Tableman wrote: »

I see the status of mine show that they have been "Validated for payment". This happened in the last few days. But not sure of anything has gone into my bank account yet.

I agree with the last poster, there should be more checking done on this scheme. Most of the farmers I know are not abiding by it. Although, I also think that the sceme is a bit strict on the disbudding part. According to my vet, they should occur at 4-5 weeks

How can you view the status of your payment??

leg wax

i think the dept vets in the marts and exporters yards should check all cattle .and cattle and weanlings that do not look like they have been done acording to rules then the famers who owned them at birth should be checked out.

pakalasa

Is it possible to know if a weanling has been properly weaned or not. I know they bawl less at the mart, look less distressed and that famous bloom goes off them, but can you really tell.
Mine were weaned a full month this year before selling but I was wondering if it was worth it. Would they have made more if they weren't.

Rujib1

pakalasa wrote: »

Is it possible to know if a weanling has been properly weaned or not. I know they bawl less at the mart, look less distressed and that famous bloom goes off them, but can you really tell.
Mine were weaned a full month this year before selling but I was wondering if it was worth it. Would they have made more if they weren't.

I think it is easy enough to know one which is say 3 weeks off a cow as opposed to say 1 week, and compared to one straight off the cow, there is absolutely no comparrison.

I had mine weaned 6 weeks when I sold them recently. Fed the bullocks ad lib creep from about a week before they were weaned and the heifers got 1.5kgs meal a day from a week before weaning. They had all been on creep at average 1kg a day for 2 months prior to calving.
Bullocks weighed 360kg lightest to 395kg heaviest, and I think a lot of the weight was put on post weaning with ad lib feed!! Made €680 to €715. All born February.
Herifers were Feb to April born, weighed 230kg to 260kg. Made €465 to €510.
All Charolais. You would certainly know they were well weaned as they looked a bit bellyish if you know what I mean. Charleys in particular tend to go like that after weaning, but recover the better shape after a while.
Can't say in general, but I think I did better overall compared to what I would have got selling at weaning time. I think most buyers, do not pay anything extra for the "bloom" of a calf off the cow. They know it for what it is.

leg wax

you still see weanlings in the sales with horns are these after getting the 40 euros or the big weanling at 500kg weight and only 6/7 months old the one that was left in the bushes and never taged until he was 4 months old, these farmers places should be checked,

Rujib1

leg wax wrote: »

you still see weanlings in the sales with horns are these after getting the 40 euros or the big weanling at 500kg weight and only 6/7 months old the one that was left in the bushes and never taged until he was 4 months old, these farmers places should be checked,

Not to mention the calves brought from show to show with white coated farmer leading the animal all proud of his say 2009 born animal, which in fact was born October 2008:p:p:p Gas craic altogether.

Bitten & Hisses

yessam wrote: »

i wouldnt go down the road of encouraging more checking. its very easy to find faults around a farm when there inspections are going on. remember these inspections are being funded by the penaltys they put on you.

There are inspections specifically for the Suckler Cow Scheme.