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Beef Welfare Scheme

Up to €75 for each eligible calf on up to 45 calves, so a maximum of €3,375. Meal feeding at weaning pays up to €35 and is mandatory. Vaccination at up to €15 and faecal or forage testing at up to €25 are optional.

Last checked September 2026

What it is

For suckler farmers, on calves born on your holding between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026. There are three actions and the first is one most farmers already do: meal feeding at weaning is mandatory and pays up to €35 a calf. Vaccination is optional at up to €15 a calf, and faecal or forage testing is optional at up to €25, so up to €75 a calf on up to 45 calves. New for 2026, the bluetongue (BTV-3) vaccination is funded as one of the options. Apply through agfood.ie, or myagfood.ie if you are registering for the first time, by 5pm on Wednesday 23 September 2026. The Department states plainly that there is no facility for late applications. Payments start in December 2026. You can be in this and the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme at the same time.

Who can get it

You are 18 or over and hold an active herd number with HERD OWNER status, because the terms say Herd Keeper is not acceptable
You submitted a BISS application in 2026 and you meet the Active Farmer test, which is a stocking rate of at least 0.10 livestock units per forage hectare, or producing crops, cutting hay or silage, or maintaining landscape features
You have eligible calves, meaning calves born in your herd between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026

Good to know

Meal feeding at weaning is the mandatory action at up to €35 a calf. The optional ones are vaccination at up to €15, which for 2026 includes the bluetongue BTV-3 vaccine, and faecal or forage testing at up to €25.
THE TAGGING RULE IS THE ONE THAT CATCHES PEOPLE. A calf has to be tagged and registered with the Registration Agency within 27 days of birth or it is ineligible for payment.
In a mixed dairy and beef herd, only calves reared by their mother are eligible calves.
There is no facility for late applications and no amendments once you submit, so check it before you send it. Payments start in December 2026.
If the scheme is oversubscribed the Department can reduce the maximum number of animals paid for, or apply a linear cut across everyone.
It is de minimis State aid, so your total de minimis aid cannot exceed €50,000 across any three year period, and the Department cross-checks that.
If you are already in the TASAH Parasite Control Consult programme, the Department advises against also picking the faecal testing option.

How to apply

Applications go through DAFM. The official page has the full eligibility rules and the application itself.

Go to the official page →

Checked against the official source on 12 September 2026. Always confirm the details on the official page before applying.

Questions people ask

How much is the Beef Welfare Scheme 2026 worth?

Up to €75 for each eligible calf on up to 45 calves, a maximum of €3,375. Meal feeding at weaning pays up to €35 and is mandatory, vaccination up to €15 and faecal or forage testing up to €25 are optional.

When does the 2026 Beef Welfare Scheme close?

5pm on Wednesday 23 September 2026. The Department states there is no facility for late applications, because payments are due to start in December 2026.

Which calves are eligible?

Calves born in your herd between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026, tagged and registered with the Registration Agency within 27 days of birth. In a mixed dairy and beef herd only calves reared by their mother count.

Do I have to be the herd owner?

Yes. The terms say Herd Keeper status is not acceptable, so you need Herd Owner status on an active herd number, and you must have submitted a BISS application in 2026.

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