The programme will be delivered through participation in discussion groups and should provide farmers with the knowledge and skills they need to improve the performance of their herds and increase profitability.

The main aims of the programme are to increase stocking rates, produce quality cattle and keep production costs down. Farmers will be required to attend five or six sessions in the year and most of these meetings will be held on members' farms.

The main contents of the programme are: Financial performance;

grassland management; herd health; breeding/ animal welfare; and producing suitable beef for the market. Each group will have a maximum of 20 members and wil be managed by an accredited facilitator.

As well as attending the sessions, farmers will be required to complete two tasks each year from a menu of tasks.

TASKS MENU

Complete a profit monitor.

Carry out weighings on suckler calves at least once during the year.

Use A.I. on 25 per cent of the herd or participation in the Gene Ireland programme for test bulls or use four-star daughters for replacements or use a five-star stock bull.

Do a soil analysis on the farm with a max of eight hectares /sample.

Re-seed 10 per cent of the farm in one year.

Complete a herd health plan with a vet.

Register all calves online; maintain herd register online and apply for S.F. P. online.

Put a rotational grazing system in place with a minimum of six divisions.

In addition to this, each participant must become a member of Herd plus. Each participant will be required to host a meeting on his/her farm at least once in the three years. The programme is expected to last for three years, with approx. 5,000 farmers participating annually.

Farmers participating in the scheme must be in the Suckler Cow Scheme (A.W. R .B. S.) or the Beef Quality Assurance Scheme (B Q AS).

Application forms must be with the facilitator before March 7, 2012. A full list of accredited facililators is on the dept of agriculture website.
Source Oliver McGrath - Teagasc, Listowel - link http://bit.ly/ypacFM