FROM TODAY, THE government’s Beef Exceptional Aid Measure (BEAM) is accepting applications from beef farmers.

Irish beef farmers have been protesting in recent weeks over the threats to their livelihoods due to the drop in sterling caused by Brexit and other issues.

Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed confirmed that the grant would be available to farmers from today, which is funded by a combination of EU exceptional aid and Exchequer support, and is being provided “in light of the difficult circumstances that Irish beef farmers have been facing as a result of market volatility and uncertainty arising out of Brexit”. 

Creed said that “the prolonged period of depressed prices and ongoing uncertainty surrounding the outcome of Brexit, has led to a difficult period of market disturbance”.

The BEAM grant, coupled with the Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot (BEEP), introduced earlier this year, provides an injection of up to €120m in aid for the beef sector in 2019.

BEAM is targeted towards those farmers most affected, the Department said.

It’s also designed to meet the requirements set out by the Commission, including granting support to farmers engaging in actions which “enhance their long-term resilience and sustainability”.

Farmers who meet the initial eligibility criteria will then have to commit to meeting the following conditions in order to qualify for aid. Each participant must:

• Be a member of or commit to joining the Bord Bia Sustainable Beef and Lamb Assurance Scheme (SBLAS) or a DAFM environmental scheme; and
• Reduce the production of bovine livestock manure nitrogen (total figure) per herd by 5% for a target period (1 July 2020 – 30 June 2021) compared to a reference period (1 July 2018 – 30 June 2019).

The BEAM grant will open for applications until 8 September inclusive. Applications will be accepted online only through AgFood.ie.