Rural Payments and Services

We have extended the BES administrative deadline for existing Beef Efficiency Scheme customers to submit their calving data from Friday 15 July to Sunday 31 July.

This is to give customers more time to submit their data, after the original deadline for applying to BES was extended by two weeks to 15 June.

While timely submission of calving data is critical to the success of the scheme, we are committed to working with industry. Therefore we are allowing beef farmers accepted into BES the additional time required to review and upload dam and calf data onto the BES database on the ScotEID website.

The sampling of calves for genotyping is a compulsory element of the scheme and the revised administrative deadline must be met by beef producers so that genotyping tissue tags can be issued thereafter without undue delay.

Customers should record their calving data, including; sire details, calving ease, vigour, and any health events for all calves born between 1st January and 1st June 2016, on the BES database through the ScotEID website before the new deadline.

Some customers were previously unable to record calving data for all calves born from 1 January to 1 June 2016, due to issues with holding numbers. This has now been resolved. However, if customers think they are still missing any 2016 born calves please contact the RPID helpline noted below.

If a BES customer is unable to input the required data by the extended deadline, they can either:

• have their contract varied to start in 2017, which will move their first BES payment from 2017 to 2018, (for those customers who have already indicated a 2017 start date, they need take no action at this time), or
• have their BES contract withdrawn.

There are a small number of applicants who have made valid applications but have yet to receive a final contract, and as a result may not be able to meet the extended deadline. We will work with these customers on a case by case basis.

There are no penalties for deferring / withdrawing from the scheme in year one. However, if an applicant withdraws after a payment has been made, i.e. from year two onwards, they would have to repay those payments made, unless the reason for withdrawing from the scheme falls under force majeure.

Customer guidance for the BES programme is available here on Rural Payments and Services.

If customers are having any issues recording calving data on the BES database please see the BES website user guide published on the ScotEID website or contact ScotEID via e-mail: help@scoteid.com or telephone: 01466 794323.

All other queries should be directed to RPID’s Entitlements and Payments Information Helpline on 0300 300 2222.