asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the steps, if any, he proposes to take to ensure that farmers with milk quotas of less than 25,000 gallons will get additional quota allocations.
Written Answers. - Milk Quotas.
102.
I have already sought to assist these procedures within the limited degree of flexibility available to me under Community regulations. I have laid down that priority both in the distribution of flexi-milk and in the restructuring scheme, which I negotiated as part of this year's price fixing package, will be given to producers whose quotas do not exceed 25,000 gallons.
Also in the arrangements for the new national reserve, which I announced yesterday, I have provided that the priority categories of farmers for the re-allocation of additional quotas will include producers with quotas below 10,000 gallons. Furthermore, in order to enable producers with smaller quotas to compete more effectively with larger quota holders for leases of land with quota, no clawback will apply where the lessee's quota (after the leasing transaction) does not exceed 25,000 gallons.