County Fermanagh countryside. Picture: Cliff Donaldson
The Ulster Farmers’ Union is encouraging all beef farmers to make sure they have opted into the Beef Carbon Reduction (BCR) scheme, which is part of the Beef Sustainability package. Currently, a third of beef farm businesses in NI who are eligible for the scheme have not opted in and the deadline to do so is 31 December 2024.
To be eligible for a BCR payment, an animal must have been kept within a herd associated to the farm business (on NIFAIS) for at least 60 days (continuously), within the last 100 days before the slaughter date. Farmers should be aware that even if they didn’t slaughter the animal, they could still be eligible for payment if they kept the animal within their herd for at least 60 days within the last 100 days before slaughter.
The BCR Scheme opened on 1 January 2024. BCR works on scheme years, with one payment per scheme year. Each scheme year will run from 1 January to 31 December. Payment rate is £75 per animal and the 2024 year is 30 months and under.
How to opt in?
To receive BCR payments, your business must opt-in to the scheme online. You can do this by clicking here.
the following link, Home page – Beef Sustainability Package (dardni.gov.uk).
To be able to opt in, you will be asked to sign in using your GOV.UK Government Gateway or Northern Ireland Identity Assurance (NIDA) details.
You only need to opt-in once from 2024.
Once you have opted in, you will receive a message through DAERA messaging service confirming this.
If you need more information on the scheme, eligibility etc., please click here.
