Vol. 522 No. 2
162 Mr. M. Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if he will offer additional compensation to farmers who are de-populated during the milking season to compensate them for loss of income from the production and supply of milk, in addition to the current compensation arrangement for the loss of animals. [18387/00]
Under the current bovine TB and brucellosis eradication schemes compensation arrangements, compensation under a range of measures viz. reactor grants, income supplement, depopulation grants and hardship grants are payable provided the herdowner meets the specified requirements for each compensatory measure.
For dairy herds, the reactor grant payable is determined in accordance with the notional herd average milk yield arrangements. The herdowner is also paid salvage value by the factory which slaughters the animal. In addition to these payments, a herdowner in a depopulation situation is paid a depopulation grant by my Department on each animal slaughtered which is intended to offset the income loss of resting the holding for the four month period after depopulation.
My Department, in consultation with the farming bodies, is currently developing proposals for the introduction of an on-farm market valuation system to meet commitments undertaken in the context of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness.
