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Dairy Farming

Volume 949: debated on Tuesday 9 May 1978

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asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what grants are being proposed by the EEC Commission to farmers who may wish to leave dairy farming; what total grant would be available for disposal of a dairy herd of 70 cows over what period; and how this sum compares with the current grant.

The Commission has proposed several changes to the present scheme for encouraging farmers to give up marketing milk or to convert to beef and sheep production. The main effects would be an increase in the value of the premiums, especially for small farmers, and the removal of the present ceiling on the qualifying quantity of milk.The estimated amount of premium which would be payable to a farmer giving up the marketing of milk from a 70-cow dairy herd would be about £30,000 compared with £10,000 under the present scheme. Payments would be spread, as now, over a five-year period. If the farmer also undertook to convert to beef or sheepmeat production, he would expect to receive, over a four-year period, an estimated £37,000 compared with £11,000.