Lease quota or lose premium, producers warned

By FWi staff

FARMERS could lose out on sheep and beef premium claims if surplus milk quota is not leased out by the end of the milk year, warns chartered surveyor Webb Paton.

IACS forms, to be submitted by 31 May, will take into account quota held on farm on 31 March 2001 and excludes quota leased out, bought or sold.

Each 5050 litres of quota held on 31 March counts as one livestock unit, and “eats” into forage area that would otherwise be available for sheep and beef claims.

Therefore, anyone wanting to make such claims in the coming year is advised that it would be worth offloading milk quota even if it is leased for nothing, says Webb Paton.