Michael Creed
Question:32 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he will give further details regarding the small scale milk producers suckler cow schemes.
Written Answers. - Suckler Cow Scheme.
My Department has already announced some of the more important details of the decision of the Agriculture Council in January to amend the eligibility criteria for the suckler cow scheme for small scale milk producers.
The arrangements for the scheme provide that producers with milk quotas of up to 25,638 gallons will be eligible to apply for the scheme in future. This compares with the previous milk quota limit of 12,819 gallons. In addition, the ten cow limit per producer has been abolished. Ireland has been granted a reserve quota of 63,400 suckler cows to cater for these changes.
This quota will be allocated in the first instance to small scale milk producers who have suckler cows of beef breeds in their herds on 1 January 1993 and who keeps these cows on their holding until 30 June 1993. Producers who were previously restricted by the ten cow limit will also be given priority in the allocation of this quota. Any unused balance of the reserve quota will be retained in the national reserve.
The deadline for submitting applications for the reserve quota of 63,400 cows is 14 May 1993 in the case of those farmers who had eligible cows on their holding on 1 January 1993. Farmers who do not fulfil the eligibility conditions may apply for reserve quota at a later stage when they acquire the eligible cows. My Department is having application forms printed at present in order to enable producers to submit their applications on time and will be placing further advertisements in the newspapers shortly inviting producers to submit their application.