Special beef premium for everyone this year
An overshoot of applications reduced the premium payment for 10,000 farmers last year. Mr Kilmartin said, “Ireland’s additional 47,000 special beef premium rights for 2004 should reduce the risk of an overshoot considerably”.
“Special beef premium applications up to the end of October are already running at 15% (92,000 head) below the number applied on for the same period”.
“Therefore it looks as though Ireland will be well under its national quota this year. In this regard, I would urge all farmers to apply for as many animals as possible in December, within stocking density limits, and this will reduce the possibility of any overshoot in 2004”, he advised.
He welcomed the Department of Agriculture’s decision to spread the burden of any possible special beef premium overshoot in 2004 to about 30,000 farmers, by reducing a 50 head limit to 25.
Mr Kilmartin said this meant that any possible penalty will be dealt with in a more equitable and fair manner.
