Rural Payments and Services

A change to the scheme rules for Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (SSBSS) will mean that certain dual purpose cattle breeds that were previously regarded as ineligible for SSBSS will now be deemed eligible for the scheme in 2017.

The breeds involved cannot be claimed for SSBSS 2016, and will only be eligible from the
date the legislation is amended.

They include:

• Fleckvieh


• Fleckvieh Cross


• Blue Albion


• Blue Albion Cross


• Swedish Red Polled

Any animals from the above breeds which have previously been claimed in 2015 or 2016, and which will have failed validation, can be submitted on new claims in 2017.

While these entries will fail initial validation (as previously claimed) this can be over-ridden.

Claiming and verification

Claimed animals from dual-purpose breeds will only be deemed eligible if they are part of a suckler beef herd – therefore progeny of a cow being used for milk production will not be eligible.

If farmers who wish to claim their animals have both dairy and suckler herds they will need to be able to demonstrate that the dam of the claimed animal is not part of the milking herd.

Details of how dam verification will be verified are still to be finalised, but will likely involve a record check, in particular; milk recording information.

If farmers do not produce milk, and have only a suckler beef herd, then a statement from their accountant that no income is received for milk production will be sufficient as verification that the claimed animal is not part of the milking herd.

It is understood that in the situation where a farmer has both types of herd that cows may move from dairy herd to suckler herd or vice versa over their time on the farm.

In this situation it will be for the farmer to demonstrate that the dam of the claimed animal was not
part of the dairy herd during the relevant period.

This consideration for these dual breeds has implications for claimants of other dual-breeds which had previously been accepted as eligible.

These farmers will also have to demonstrate that the claimed animals have not been produced from the dairy herd.

The relevant breed currently identified is: Montbeliarde.