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The Suckler Cow Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025

S.R. 2025/41 · Made 6 March 2025 · Extends to Northern Ireland

Up to date with all changes known to legislation.gov.uk, revised to 23 October 2025.

Agriculture

Made 6th March 2025

Coming into operation 1st April 2025

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairsf1 makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 9(1) of the Agriculture Act (Northern Ireland) 1949f2 and Articles 52(9) and 70(4) of Regulation (EU) No1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013f3.

These Regulations are made with the approval of the Department of Financef4 under section 9(1) of the Agriculture Act (Northern Ireland) 1949.

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

The Ministry of Agriculture for Northern Ireland became the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland by the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 c.36 section 40 and Schedule 5 paragraph 8(1); Renamed as the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development by the Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 S.I. 1999/283 (N.I.1) Article 3(4) and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs by the Departments Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 c.5 (N.I.) section 1(2)

f2

1949 c.2 (N.I.)

f3

EUR 1307/2013

f4

The “Ministry of Finance” is now the “Department of Finance”; see section 1(4) of the Departments Act (NI) 2016 c.5 (N.I.)

Contents

  1. 1Citation and commencement
  2. 2Interpretation
  3. 3Suckler Cow Scheme Payments
  4. 4Specific requirements: animals and farm businesses
  5. 5Specific requirements: animals and farm businesses
  6. 6Use of NIFAIS information
  7. 7Scheme Payment
  8. 8Withholding and recovery of overpayments
  9. 9Powers of authorised persons
  10. 10Assistance to authorised persons
  11. 11Offences and penalties Repealed
  12. Signature
  13. Schedule Eligible Beef Breeds
  14. Explanatory note

1Citation and commencementI1

These Regulations may be cited as the Suckler Cow Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 and shall come into operation on 1st April 2025.

2InterpretationI1

In these Regulations—

  • “age at first calving” means in relation to a heifer, its age in months when her first calf is born;

  • “applicant” means an eligible farm business which has applied for a payment under the scheme;

  • F1“authorised person” means any person authorised by the Department to act under section 40(1) of the Agriculture Act (Northern Ireland) 1949 in matters relating to these Regulations;

  • “birth” means a registered birth on NIFAIS;

  • “calving interval” means the number of days starting from the day after a calf is born and ending on the day a subsequent calf is born to the same eligible cow;

  • “the Department” means the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs;

  • “eligible cow” means a female bovine animal of an eligible beef breed specified in the Schedule as registered on NIFAIS that has given birth to, or aborted one or more calves;

  • “eligible calving event” means where an eligible cow or heifer gives birth to either—

    1. (a)

      an eligible live calf which is—

      1. (i)

        born alive and lives for at least 24 hours after its birth;

      2. (ii)

        identified with an approved ear tag;

      3. (iii)

        tested in compliance with the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Eradication Scheme Order (Northern Ireland) 2016f1; and

      4. (iv)

        registered on NIFAIS; or

    2. (b)

      an eligible dead calf which is—

      1. (i)

        a bovine foetus or calf born dead or which dies within 24 hours of birth;

      2. (ii)

        identified with an approved ear tag;

      3. (iii)

        tested in compliance with the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Eradication Scheme Order (Northern Ireland) 2016;

      4. (iv)

        meets the criteria as stated in regulation 4(3);

      5. (v)

        registered on NIFAIS; and

      6. (vi)

        confirmed as having been disposed of by a method approved by the Department; or

    3. (c)

      in the case of a multiple birth, a calf falling within paragraph (a) or (b) or both;

  • “eligible farm business” means a farm business where the eligible calving event occurred and which meets the requirements of regulation 5 in a relevant scheme year;

  • “eligible heifer” means a female bovine animal of an eligible beef breed specified in the Schedule as registered on NIFAIS that has never given birth to or aborted a calf;

  • “Farm Sustainability Transition Payment Scheme” has the same meaning as in the Farm Sustainability (Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2025f2;

  • “Farm Sustainability Payment Scheme” has the same meaning as in the Farm Sustainability (Transitional Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025;

  • “NIFAIS” means the Northern Ireland Food Animal Information System maintained by the Department;

  • “relevant scheme year” means the year of application to the scheme;

  • “scheme” means the Suckler Cow Scheme;

  • “scheme payment” means a payment under regulations 3 and 7;

  • “Scheme Year 1” means the year beginning on 1st April 2025 and ending on 31st March 2026;

  • “Scheme Year 2” means the year beginning on 1st April 2026 and ending on the 31st March 2027;

  • “Scheme Year 3” means the year beginning on 1st April 2027 and ending on 31st March 2028;

  • “Scheme Year 4” means the year beginning on 1st April 2028 and ending on the 31st March 2029;

3Suckler Cow Scheme PaymentsI1

(1)

Subject to paragraphs (2) to (4), the Department may in Scheme Years 1 to 4, in accordance with these Regulations, make a scheme payment to an eligible farm business.

(2)

A payment application approved by the Department for a relevant scheme year shall be paid into the account of the eligible farm business from the following scheme year.

(3)

Subject to paragraph (4), the Department may make payments for a scheme year up to an annual maximum number of 222,000 eligible calving events.

(4)

Where in Scheme Year 1, Scheme Year 2, Scheme Year 3 or Scheme Year 4 the number of eligible calving events exceeds 222,000, the number of eligible calving events for which an eligible farm business may receive payment shall be reduced by the percentage calculated as follows—

Number of eligible calving events exceeding 222,000 divided by 222,000 and multipled by 100.

4Specific requirements: animals and farm businessesI1

(1)

Subject to paragraph (4), an eligible heifer must have an eligible calving event at a minimum age of 21 months and not exceeding the maximum age specified in column 2 of Table 1 in respect of the scheme year specified in column 1 of Table 1—

Table 1

Column 1 scheme yearColumn 2 maximum age at first calving
134 months
232 months
330 months
429 months
(2)

Subject to paragraph (4), an eligible cow must have an eligible calving event at a minimum calving interval of 271 days and not exceeding the maximum calving interval specified in column 2 of Table 2 in respect of the scheme year specified in column 1 of Table 2—

Table 2

Column 1 scheme yearColumn 2 maximum calving interval
1415 days
2405 days
3395 days
4385 days
(3)

The Department shall issue payment for a maximum of two eligible calving events in which an eligible cow has given birth to only eligible dead calves, from the date of commencement of these Regulations.

(4)

Subject to paragraph (3), the Department shall not issue payment for any subsequent eligible calving events in which only eligible dead calves are born but will use those subsequent calving events to determine if the calving interval requirements in Table 2 of paragraph (2) are met.

(5)

Animals with specified NIFAIS identification, registration and movement or disease statuses as set out in Table 3 shall not be eligible for payment.

Table 3

Age at first calvingCalving interval
Heifer and, or calves with DOBQ - (Date of birth query)Calves with DOBQ - (Date of birth query)
Calves with VDF - (Valid dam failure)Calves with VDF - (Valid dam failure)
Heifers and, or calves with IDU - (Identity unknown)Cows and, or calves with IDU - (Identity unknown)
Calves with BVDU - (Bovine viral diarrhoea unknown)Calves with BVDU - (Bovine viral diarrhoea unknown)

5Specific requirements: animals and farm businessesI1

An eligible farm business shall—

(a)

have applied for a payment under the scheme on or before the last day of the relevant scheme year;

(b)

be eligible for a payment under the Farm Sustainability Transition Payment Scheme in 2025 to receive payment for eligible calving events in Scheme Year 1;

(c)

be eligible for a payment under the Farm Sustainability Payment Scheme –

(i)

in 2026 to receive payment for eligible calving events in Scheme Year 2;

(ii)

in 2027 to receive payment for eligible calving events in Scheme Year 3;

(iii)

in 2028 to receive payment for eligible calving events in Scheme Year 4;

(d)

provide such further information in relation to any animal as the Department may request.

6Use of NIFAIS informationI1

(1)

The Department shall use the information recorded on NIFAIS to determine whether the requirements under regulation 4 are met.

(2)

The NIFAIS information shall be conclusive evidence unless otherwise rebutted or corrected to the satisfaction of the Department by an eligible farm business.

7Scheme PaymentI1

The amount of the scheme payment is set out in Table 4—

Table 4

PaymentAmount payable for an eligible calving event
Age at first calving payment£100
Calving interval payment£100

8Withholding and recovery of overpaymentsI1

(1)

This regulation applies where an application for payment has been approved by the Department and it becomes aware that the applicant—

(a)

is not eligible to receive that payment;

(b)

has without reasonable cause obstructed an authorised person in the exercise of their powers under regulation 9; or

(c)

has failed to provide reasonably required assistance to an authorised person under regulation 10.

(2)

Subject to paragraph (3), the Department may—

(a)

revoke the approval of the application for payment; and

(b)

where payment has not been made withhold the payment or any part of it; or

(c)

where payment has already been made, recover from the applicant an amount equal to the whole or any part of the payment—

(i)

as a civil debt; or

(ii)

by way of offsetting against any sum otherwise payable to the applicant by the Department.

(3)

Before exercising the power under paragraph (2), the Department must by a withdrawal or recovery notice, (“the notice”)—

(a)

give the applicant a written explanation of the reasons for the proposed action; and

(b)

afford the applicant the opportunity to make written representations within 14 days beginning with the date of the issue of the notice; and

(c)

consider any representations made by or on behalf of the applicant.

9Powers of authorised personsI1

(1)

An authorised person may exercise any of the powers specified in paragraphs (2) to (4) for the purposes of these Regulations.

(2)

An authorised person on producing, if so required, a duly authenticated document showing the person’s authority to do so, may at all reasonable hours enter any land other than a building used only as a dwelling house.

(3)

An authorised person may—

(a)

carry out any inquiries, checks, examinations, measurements and tests;

(b)

take samples;

(c)

inspect any part of the land (whether it is farmed or is withdrawn from agricultural production) and any livestock;

(d)

mark any animal or other thing for identification purposes;

(e)

have access to, inspect and copy any documents or records (in whatever form they are held) or remove such records to enable them to be copied;

(f)

have access to, inspect and check the operation of, any computer and any associated apparatus or material which is or has been in use in connection with the documents or records; and for this purpose require any person having charge of, or otherwise concerned with the operation of, the computer, apparatus or material to afford such assistance as is reasonably required and, where a document or record is kept by means of a computer, reasonably require the document to be produced in a form in which it can be taken away;

(g)

remove a carcase found on the land for the purpose of carrying out a post-mortem examination on it;

(h)

take a photograph of anything on the land; and

(i)

remove anything reasonably believed to be evidence of any failure to meet the eligibility conditions.

(4)

An authorised person entering any premises or land by virtue of this regulation may take with them such other persons as they consider necessary.

(5)

For the purposes of this regulation a computer includes any electronic device.

10Assistance to authorised personsI1

An applicant or any employee, agent, contractor or tenant of an applicant shall give an authorised person such assistance as may be reasonably required to enable the authorised person to exercise the powers conferred by regulation 9.

11Offences and penaltiesF1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Signature

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs on 6th March 2025

L.S.

Rosemary Agnew

A senior officer of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

The Department of Finance approves the forgoing Regulations

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance on 6th March 2025

L.S.

Patrick Neeson

A senior officer of the Department of Finance

Eligible Beef BreedsI1

Aberdeen AngusEuropean AngusPustertaler
AubracGallowayRed Poll
Australian LowlineGasconneRomagnola
BazadaisGayalRotbunt
BeefaloGelbviehSalers
BeefmasterGloucesterShetland
Belgian BlueHerefordShorthorn
Belted GallowayHighlandShorthorn Beef
BisonIrish MoileSimmental
Blonde D’AquitaineKerrySouth Devon
Blue AlbionLakenvelderSpeckle Park
Blue GreyLimousinStabiliser
BrahmanLincoln RedSussex
BraunbiehLonghornTyrone Black
British BlueLuingVaynol
British WhiteMaine AnjouWagyu
Canadian BlackMalkekorthornWater Buffalo
CharolaisMarchigianaWelsh Black
ChianinaMiniature ZebruWelsh White
ChillinghamMurray GreyWhite Galloway
DevonOld EnglishWhite Park
DexterParthenaisYak
DroimeannPiemonteseZebu
English ParkPinzgauer

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations establish the Suckler Cow Scheme. The Scheme provides for payments to be made by the Department to eligible farm businesses in relation to age at first calving and calving intervals, which meet the eligible animal requirements.

The Scheme—

specifies the payments available (regulation 3 and 7);

specifies the eligibility criteria for animals and farm businesses (regulations 4 and 5);

specifies the use of NIFAIS information (regulation 6);

provides the powers for withholding and recovery of overpayments (regulation 8);

provides for the powers of authorised persons (regulation 9);

specifies the assistance to authorised persons (regulation 10);

provides for the offences and penalties (regulation 11); and

specifies eligible beef breeds (Schedule).