Vol. 424 No. 9
124 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will seek a change in the EC rules under the new cereals regime in order to allow the traditional rotation practices to continue so that potato farmers in particular can utilise lay ground, followed by a cereal crop.
The EC Commission's detailed rules for the new support regime for arable producers specify that land which was in pasture for a five year period prior to 31 December 1991 is ineligible for compensatory payments.
In the course of discussions on the detailed rules, my Department sought an extension of this period in order to accommodate potato growers. There was insufficient support from other member states for this request.
