Beef producers are being reminded that applications to the Scottish Suckler Beef Scheme must be in before the 31 December deadline.
The scheme, which provides £40m to support the production of beef calves, underpins the production of Scotland's iconic beef sector.
Any farmer or crofter producing beef calves can claim for any calf born between 1 January 2023 and 2 December 2023.
This is provided the calves are at least 75% beef genetics and have been kept on the holding of birth for at least 30 days.
Payments from the scheme are expected in early 2024.
The scheme budget of £40 million is split with £34 million for calves born on the mainland and £6 million for calves born on the islands.
The payment rates are determined by the number of eligible calves claimed. Last year, payment rates were £101.42 for mainland calves and £144.47 for island calves.
NFU Scotland president, Martin Kennedy said the scheme continued to be a vital element of support to maintain the beef suckler herd in Scotland.
“The importance of the calf scheme cannot be underestimated," he said, "We will look to ensure any new conditionality measures for eligibility are proportional and pragmatic."
The Scottish government has confirmed that the scheme will be a feature of future support arrangements in Scotland.
However, new conditions will be introduced on eligibility from 2025 for the 2026 scheme.
Mr Kennedy said that one conditionality measure in the future would be around calving interval, a recommendation from the Suckler Beef Farmer-led Group’s report from several years ago.
“We have also been engaging with the policy reform stakeholder group emphasising a number of key points about the scheme," he said.
"Firstly, we believe the scheme must retain a minimum £40 million budget; it must retain the island uplift and be delivered in the same cyclical fashion.
"We are also strongly in favour of a split payment to ensure there is a just transition to the new scheme rules in 2025.
"We would support eligible claims having a “base” element for meeting existing eligibility criteria and a top up if the beef calf’s dam meets the new calving interval criteria."
