asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will outline the interim recommendations on temporary leasing of the Milk Quota Review Committee; and if he will give his estimate of the expected uptake during the current marketing year.
Written Answers. - Milk Quotas.
41.
As I announced last week, I have decided to accept the recommendation of the Quota Review Group to introduce a scheme for the temporary leasing of quotas for 1988-89. Under the terms of the scheme, leases must be drawn up and completed by 31 July 1988 and the period of the lease will expire on 31 March 1989. The portion of a producer's quota to be leased cannot exceed a limit of 70 per cent of his quota, except in the case of a producer whose herd was depopulated under the disease (TB and brucellosis) eradication schemes in either 1987 or in 1988 (prior to 31 July), where the portion permitted to be leased will be increased to 99 per cent. Payments made for the leased quota shall not be more than 15 pence for each gallon leased. The quotas offered for leasing will form a pool in each co-operative or dairy area and at least 60 per cent of this pool will be allocated to suppliers whose quotas do not exceed 25,000 gallons.
It is not possible to anticipate the take-up of the scheme at this stage, but there should be a good response from producers, particularly from small and medium sized quota holders as the scheme offers them the prospect of acquiring additional quotas at a reasonable cost to cover themselves against possible super-levy liabilities in 1988-89.