Farmers and crofters urged to not delay in completing the information ahead of extended 31 July deadline

NFU Scotland has welcomed an extension to the deadline to the Beef Efficiency Scheme data to be completed but is encouraging farmers and crofters not to delay in doing so.

The administrative deadline, which was due to be today (15 July), has now been extended to 31 July 2016 to allow more time for farmers and crofters to complete their calving data on the ScotEID website.

The objective of the five-year Beef Efficiency Scheme is to assist in the development of suckler herds in Scotland to become more efficient.

The information required by farmers to ensure their application is accurate includes:

• Calf: calf ID, date of birth, sex and the dam ID; sire ID of calf; calving ease; size of calf; calf vigour; creep feeding (if applicable); and calf mortality (if applicable).
• Dam (mother of the calf): Dam docility and culling/death reasons of the dam (if applicable).

NFU Scotland understands that there are a small number of applicants who have had problems with the system, and has fed this back to Scottish Government. This has included some who were previously unable to record calving data for all calves born from 1 January to 1 June 2016, due to issues with holding numbers. ScotEID has confirmed this has now been resolved.

Charlie Adam, NFU Scotland’s Livestock Committee Chairman commented: “We welcome this extension to the data submission deadline, however we encourage farmers to not to delay in uploading the information.

“It is important that this extension does not lead to a delay in notification for which calves are to be tissue tested.

“We know of a small number of applicants who have had problems uploading information, and we have relayed this back, but the majority, including myself, have had no problems in doing so. NFU Scotland recognises that some of these problems have been resolved by Scottish Government but we understand that there are others that are still being looked at.

“We have put a number of suggestions to Scottish Government as to how the scheme can be improved, including, adjustment to allow for a payment on animals in expanding herds and new herds; extending the payment from three years to five years; tissue testing tags to be on farm by the end of August; and clear and proportionate penalties, and will continue to communicate with officials on the scheme. We have also relayed that there is a need for further opportunities for more herds to participate in the scheme in order to encourage an increased participation.

“Members who are having problems with BES applications data input should contact their local Rural Payments and Inspection Division’s Entitlements and Payments office.”

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Contact Ruth McClean on 0131 472 4108