Michael Creed
Question:113 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the maximum number of beef premium units a person (details supplied) in County Cork will be entitled to claim in any given year. [4156/01]
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
Under EU regulations governing the special beef premium and suckler cow schemes, a stocking density limit of two livestock units per hectare applies, based on the forage area declared on an applicant's area aid application.
Each producer's reckonable livestock units are obtained in respect of each calendar year as follows: male cattle up to and including 24 months old on which the producer applies for special beef premium and bull premium – 0.6 livestock unit each; male cattle over 24 months old on which the producer applies for special beef premium – one livestock unit each; ewes on which the producer applies for ewe premium – 0.15 livestock unit each; suckler cows – one livestock unit each; 'notional' dairy cows – one livestock unit each.
Notional dairy cows are obtained by dividing a producer's milk quota in respect of a given calendar year by the national average yield per cow for that year, or by the recorded average milk yield per cow where the producer is in an official milk recording scheme.
In 2000 the stocking density entitlement of the person named is fully utilised by his milk quota. The person named had a declared forage area of 13.60 hectares giving him a maximum entitlement of 27.20 reckonable livestock units. The milk quota of the person named of 31,497 gallons divided by the national average yield per cow for 2000 of 876 gallons utilises 35.95 livestock units and thus his full entitlement. The person named would not, therefore, have been entitled to special beef premium or suckler cow premium payments in respect of the calendar year 2000.