Grant or payment · Northern Ireland
Beef Carbon Reduction (BCR) Scheme
Annual payment for clean beef cattle, born and bred in Northern Ireland and registered on NIFAIS, slaughtered at or below a falling maximum age. Part of the Beef Sustainability Package.
- From
- DAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)
- How much
- £75 per eligible animal. Maximum age at slaughter: 27 months in 2026, 26 months in 2027. Capped at 352,000 animals a year across Northern Ireland, with a pro rata cut if exceeded.
- Who can apply
- Farm businesses that finish beef cattle, claim and are eligible for the Farm Sustainability Payment, and keep the animal in their herd for at least 60 continuous days within the 100 days before slaughter.
What you’ll need
- DAERA Category 1 Farm Business ID
- Government Gateway or NI Direct (NIDA) login for DAERA Online Services
- Eligible for FSP
- Accurate animal records on NIFAIS
- Bank details held by DAERA
How to apply
- Opt in once on the DAERA website (opting in from 2024 covers later years)
- An agent can be nominated to opt in
- Payment for each scheme year (1 January to 31 December) issues from March of the following year
Year 3 started 1 January 2026; the scheme runs for four years to 2027. Payment is only from the scheme year in which the business opts in.
Similar schemes
- Farming with Nature Higher Scheme 2027 OpenDAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) · Closes 30 October 2026Interim invite-only scheme to keep favourable management of high-value farmland in designated sites and priority habitats between agri-environment schemes.
- Suckler Cow Scheme OpenDAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) · Closes 31 March 2027Payment for suckler calvings that meet targets for age at first calving and calving interval. Part of the Beef Sustainability Package.
- CAFRE Themed Groups (B.E.E.F. finishing and suckler cow fertility) Open all yearCAFRE (College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise), part of DAERAShort-term CAFRE groups with mentoring, peer learning and KPIs, linked to the Beef Carbon Reduction and Suckler Cow schemes.
- Farm Sustainability Payment (FSP) 2027 Coming soonDAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) · Closes 15 May 2027The second year of the Farm Sustainability Payment, claimed on the 2027 Single Application.
- Farming with Nature Landscape Projects Scheme Coming soonDAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) · Closes 4 December 2026Funding for groups of farmers and partners to deliver landscape-scale habitat and biodiversity projects that cannot be done on a single farm.
- Farming with Nature Protected Habitats and Species Scheme Coming soonDAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)Planned targeted agri-environment scheme for farmers managing designated sites and other priority habitats and species.
Checked against the official pages on 29 October 2026. Sources: 1, 2, 3. Always read the official page before you apply.