Teagasc issues milk quota warning
Dairy specialist George Ramsbottom is advising farmers who are facing an oversupply situation to act now to avoid a superlevy bill this year.
Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan recently warned that the estimated fat adjusted milk deliveries at the end of February 2005 were 0.23% over the national quota.
She said her Department was predicting that if the current trend continues, dairy farmers will be facing a super levy bill of €5.5 million in the current quota year.
Meanwhile, Mr Ramsbottom said that on many farms the quota position is manageable. Deferring sale of milk for three or four days until April 1 should be sufficient to avoid a super levy bill.
“The situation on a small number of dairy farms is, however, of more concern.
Here, quota is already full or within days of being filled,” he said.
However, he warned that cutting meal input drastically will result in an excessive loss of body condition in early lactation. This in turn will reduce reproductive performance during the breeding season.
Mr Ramsbottom said the knock-on effects of drastic action taken now will be felt long after the quota year has ended. A more balanced approach must be taken based on storing milk, reducing or holding yield and preventing a crash in cow condition.
ICOS Dairy Committee Secretary George Kearns predicted that milk supplies, adjusted for butter fat, will be five million gallons over quota for the year ending March 31.
