Lessees will be allowed buy quota

LESSEES are to be allowed to buy milk quota with or without the land, under new regulations.

This option had been limited to pre-April 2001 leases up to now; now the only stipulation is that leases must have been in place for at least one year. According to the Department of Agriculture, it removes an inflexibility from the system for those who had entered into family leases in the past few years.

This purchase opportunity is also being extended to producers who had been assigned leases before April 2000. In addition, these producers will be allowed to renew such leases.