Farmers ask minister for milk quota

DEVELOPMENT farmers have called on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Mary Coughlan to make available to them some of the extra milk allocated to Ireland in the recent two percent quota increase.

National Milk Rights Group chairman Donie Shine said Ireland had received 23 million gallons of extra milk as a result of the European Commission decision.

“It is an ideal opportunity for Minister Coughlan to address the serious issue that has been left outstanding since the early 1980s when the plans of development farmers did not come to fruition due to a lack of milk,” he said.

Mr Shine said qualifying development farmers received 7.1 million gallons of milk from Agenda 2000. This equated to 49% of the quota they were adjudged to have unfairly lost in 1984.

“Now that the country has received an increase in quota of two percent, we feel the opportunity has arrived to deliver the extra quota which has been promised to these development milk producers,” he said.

Mr Shine said a decision on the allocation by the minister was imminent as the extra quota becomes effective from April 1.

Meanwhile, an open day focused on a breeding strategy for an expanding dairy Industry will take place at the Teagasc Ballydague research farm near Ballyhooly, Co Cork, tomorrow.

It will provide dairy farmers with up-to-date research information as they prepare, for the first time, to start the breeding season in an environment of milk quota expansion.