ICMSA votes to keep quota rules
Delegates to the Association's Annual General Meeting rejected a motion from the Macroom, Co Cork, branch calling for ring fencing of milk quota to be abolished.
And they copperfastened their stand by adopting a motion from Donegal, "That milk quota must be protected in peripheral areas beyond 2007" and a motion from Sligo, "That no milk quota should be confiscated from a milk supplier under the so-called 70% rule."
The meeting supported motions from West Cork and Dingle that the three quota priority categories for the restructuring scheme and allocation of flexi-milk should be re-introduced.
AGM discussions confirmed strong support in ICMSA for availability of milk quota to smaller scale dairy farmers wishing to expand in what is seen as the only viable option for small to medium scale farmers.
A motion from Dungarvan to abolish the age limit for milk production partnerships was discussed, but was deferred to the ICMSA Dairy Committee.
The meeting also called for faster payment of dairy farmers by processors, seeking that the milk cheque be issued at the end of each month. There was also unanimous support for a call from Mitchelstown for independent milk testing, provided it did not incur additional costs for producers.
