Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 June 2012
125 Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a final breakdown by co-op of the level by which the milk quota was exceeded and a final super levy figure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28865/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the EU Regulations co-operatives were obliged to submit their final figures on the volumes of milk received during the last milk quota year and the relevant butterfat content information by 15 May 2012.
Following that, all superlevy payments must be made by the suppliers to their respective co-operatives by 1 September 2012. The co-operatives are then obliged to forward the monies to my Department by 1 October 2012 and my Department has, in turn, to submit the monies to the Commission by end November 2012.
Based on the final declarations from the co-operatives, the overall level of milk deliveries for the Milk Quota year 2011/2012 has been calculated at 1.05% above quota, taking into account the adjustment for butterfat content and for the leap year. Based on these calculations, the final super levy bill is expected to be in the region of €16.5m. The final calculation of the national position exceeds the earlier estimate by 0.36% (a little over one day's production), due to a significantly higher increase in the butterfat content in milk this year over previous years. The increase in butterfat content in 2011/12 was such that the National Butterfat adjustment factor, at 102.893%, was 20% higher than that in the 2010/11 quota year. This compares with an increase between 2009/10, and 2010/11, of just 3.5%.
This is a change to the aggregate reported production figure for the country as a whole compared to that estimated in April, and does not change the position of individual farmers, who have already been provisionally notified of their position by their co-ops.
Factors such as good weather and growing conditions and continuing improvements in genetics can lead to improvements in butterfat content from year to year. In quota year 2011/12, the increased use of ‘once a day milking' to mitigate super levy bills may have been an additional factor.
The final position relating to individual co-operatives will not be available until all milk quota transfers, leases and allocations of flexi milk are assigned. It is expected that this task will be completed by mid August.
