Rural Payments and Services

As the Beef Efficiency Scheme (BES) year comes to a close, many participants’ contracts will cease 31 December 2020. The following arrangements must be made by midnight on 31 December:

• tissue sample return deadline for animals selected through 2020
• all calving data to be completed, as well as the recording of disposals and deaths
• update your Carbon Audit if this is your last year in the Scheme, and watch the online training modules provided by Ricardo
• weights for calves must be taken between 120 and 400 days old and entered into the database within 15 working days

Tissue sample return reminder

Tags must be returned to the lab by 31 December 2020 at the latest. If the animal is no longer on your holding, please remember to mark this on the Sample Submission Form by ticking the appropriate column.

Calving and disposal data

You should already have received an email from ScotEID for providing calving and disposal data. Weights dataScotEID emails are issued when calves start reaching 400 days old, and no weight has been recorded against it.

An exercise has been carried out to determine who still requires to input weights data. Due to the size of the report produced, it will not be possible to issue this information directly to participants. Please check your ScotEID account. If you are unsure how to do this or would like a copy of what it outstanding, please contact the BES mailbox.

Carbon Audit update and online training

The deadline to complete the Carbon Audit and online training was 15 November 2020.

Warning letters will be issued to participants who fail to meet this deadline.

Any questions regarding the content of this Article should also be directed to the BES Team – besmailbox@gov.scot

November 2020