Written Answers. - Quota Allocations.
Noel Treacy
Ceist:
251
Mr. N. Treacy
asked the
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry
the national quotas which Ireland holds in respect of all livestock dairy quotas, cereals, sugar beet, and others; the amount of these quotas in each of the four provinces; the amount of surplus, unused and unallocated quotas in his Department under all quota heads at 31 December 1995; the reasons for this situation prevailing; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4490/96]
The quota situation in relation to livestock is set out in the following tabular statement.
|
National Quota
|
Unallocated Quota (a)
|
Unused Quota (b)
|
Surplus Quota (c)
|
|
Suckler Cow Premium
|
1,106,281
|
47,046
|
122,115
|
169,161
|
|
Special Beef Premium
|
1,286,521
|
(d)
|
(d)
|
233,275
|
|
Ewe premium
|
4,969,612
|
36,471
|
Nil
|
36,471
|
Notes
a. Unallocated quota:Quota in the national reserve.
b. Unused quota: Quota allocated less 1995 applications for premia.
c. Surplus quota: Unused and unallocated quota.
d. The special beef premium quota is not an individual producer quota and, accordingly, its allocation does not arise.
I regret that it is not possible to give a breakdown of the national quotas for the suckler cow and ewe premia on a provincial basis within the time available. However, I will communicate with the Deputy as soon as these statistics are compiled. As the special beef premium is not an individual producer's quota, there is no provincial breakdown of it.
The under-utilisation of the suckler cow and special beef premium quotas arises from the fact that the quotas in question were based on applications for these premia in 1992 and, since the decision to introduce the quotas was made in the middle of the year, producers availed of the opportunity to establish quotas which many did not choose to fill subsequently.
Milk
The national milk quota, including both deliveries and direct sales quota, is 5,245,764 tonnes. Deliveries and direct sales exceeded this national quota in the 1994/95 milk quota year by 13,492 tonnes. The amount of unallocated quota at 31 December 1995 amounted to 5,800 tonnes. There is no provincial breakdown of this quota available in my Department.
Sugar
In the sugar sector the quota is in respect of manufactured sugar rather than sugar beet. The annual sugar quota is—
—‘A' quota 182,000 tonnes
—‘B' quota 18,200 tonnes
Total 200,200 tonnes.
There was no unused or unallocated quota in the sugar sector in the 1995 crop year. There is no information available in my Department on the provincial breakdown on the quota which is administered by Irish Sugar plc.
Arable Crops
Arable area payments in respect of cereals, oilseeds, protein crops and set-aside are limited to a national base area of 345,000 hectares. The base area unused in the 1995 crop year was approximately 39,000 hectares. There are no individual base areas and consequently there are no provincial base areas. Within these figures for arable crops is a maximum guaranteed area of 5,000 hectares for oilseeds, of which 2,437 hectares were unused in 1995. Penalties apply if the overall base area for arable crops or the base area for oilseeds is exceeded.
The area under arable crops in a given year is a reflection of the changes in land use as between arable crops, other agricultural production and nonagricultural uses. Such changes in land use are based mainly on commercial decisions by farmers.
A maximum guaranteed quantity of 5,000 tonnes was allocated to Ireland for dried fodder under a new EU regime which commenced in the marketing year 1995/96. There is only one processor of dried fodder in Ireland, located in County Meath. No information is yet available on whether the maximum guaranteed quantity has been produced. EU assistance does not apply to production in excess of that quantity.
