INHFA secures flexibilities on new sheep welfare scheme

THE Irish Natura & Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) have secured vital flexibilities around two measures under the new National Sheep Welfare Scheme (NSWS). Speaking on this, National Vice-President Micheal McDonnell outlined how the organisation had on the announcement of the scheme expressed concerns around the plunge dipping measure and specifically the completion date for the measure of the 15th of October.

This date McDonnell maintained “was problematic for many hill flocks where sheep would still be on the hills and in many cases would not be down until November”. Beyond the plunge dipping there was, he added “also concern, that this date may also be too early for those farmers choosing the clostridial vaccine measure”. As farmers will have to choose between either plunge dipping or clostridial vaccination it was stated McDonnell “vital that we get flexibility around these two options.”

After extensive engagement between the INHFA and the Department, the INHFA Vice-President detailed how “farmers can now avail of a later completion date for both their actions of November 25, 2024, but importantly they must notify DAFM by email to sheepschemes@agriculture.gov. ie before September 15, 2024. The Department will acknowledge all such requests and respond to the farmer.”

However, McDonnell also exercised a note of caution, stating: “Where a farmer avails of the later completion date, it will mean their payment under the scheme will not be paid until the end of December or early January.”

For farmers interested in joining the scheme McDonnell detailed how it consists of four possible measures, equally applicable to upland and lowland flocks, and grouped into two categories as follows:

Category A: shearing or body condition scoring of ewes;

Category B: clostridial vaccination of ewes (or lambs if ewes are already vaccinated) or plunge dipping of ewes.

Farmers joining the NSWS must indicate at application stage which options they intend to carry out by selecting one from each category.

The maximum number of breeding ewes eligible for payment under the scheme will be determined by reference to the numbers declared for each participating flock in the sheep census returns from 2020 to 2023.

Completed actions must be recorded on the Scheme Action Record Sheets which will be provided by the Department to participants when approval letters are issued to participants in the scheme in June 2024.

Concluding, McDonnell stated how the INHFA are also pushing the Department for guarantees that the full €15 million allocated in the budget will be spent on the scheme.” He also added: “In the unlikely event that farmer uptake doesn’t match the budget then unspent funds must be paid out to existing participants as a top-up on each ewe.”