Brendan Smith
Ceist:32 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the proposals, if any, he has to assist small milk quota holders who face serious super levy bills; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19399/96]
Written Answers. - Milk Quotas.
Brian Cowen
Ceist:33 Mr. Cowen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the number of gallons of milk which will be put into temporary leasing in 1996 as a result of the changes he has recently announced in the leasing regime. [19438/96]
Brendan Smith
Ceist:43 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the proposals, if any, he has to provide an additional milk quota to farmers who have less than a 30,000 gallon quota; if his attention has been drawn to the particular demand and need for such additional quota in the north west and north east of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19401/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 32, 33 and 43 together.
At the end of September 1996 milk deliveries exceeded our national quota when calculated over the same period by 4.8 per cent. If milk deliveries for the remainder of this quota year were to remain even at the same level as last year, dairy farmers would face a super levy liability in the region of £40 million.
In this context, therefore, irrespective of what measures are put in place, there is no possibility of meeting the quota requirements of producers who are seriously over-quota irrespective of their location within the country. It is the producers themselves who must act responsibly and in accordance with expert direction from their Teagasc and co-operative advisers on how to minimise their liability.
The objective of the recently introduced clawback measure on land-quota leases and sales is to promote the temporary leasing scheme as an alternative to land-quota leasing, and to favour quota restructuring over land-quota sales. Under these schemes, priority is afforded to smaller scale producers and so the measure will primarily benefit these. While there will be some positive effect this year, the main benefit of the clawback will not be felt until the beginning of the next quota year.
I have recently announced details of the third stage of temporary leasing under which I have given total priority to smaller scale producers including those who have relied on temporary leasing in the past.