Killeen Urges Greater Participation In Milk Production Partnerships

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Brendan Smith TD, announced the publication of new rules for the Operation of MPPs following the recent enactment of the new European Communities (Milk Quota) Regulations 2008 (SI 227 of 2008).

According to Minister of State Killeen, ‘The Regulations assign responsibility for the maintenance of the MPP register to Teagasc and provide for the making by the Minister of detailed rules governing the operation of MPPs. The removal of operational matters from the milk quota regulations provides greater flexibility to change the criteria affecting participation in MPPs and to make such participation more attractive’.

The Clare T.D. and IFA member said, ‘In a local context, I would like to commend the work of James O’Loughlin and his staff at the Teagasc farm in Kilmaley, which has informed the body of knowledge in Dairying at a local and national level. That is why I am delighted that Teagasc has been handed responsibility for maintaining the MPP register.’

Minister of State Killeen explained that the review of the legislation on Milk Production Partnerships had been informed by a desire to remove obstacles to partnership formation in general, and to encourage new entrants to milk production in particular.

‘It is abundantly clear that the farming organisations across the country have generally shared this desire. The new rules, therefore, facilitate the participation of non-dairy farmers and farm managers in MPPs. They also remove criteria such as age and some off-farm income limits, and limits on the distance between holdings and the relative sizes of holdings, which previously acted merely as barriers to participation’, stated the Junior Agriculture Minister.

Commenting on the new Detailed Rules, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Brendan Smith TD said that the opening up of MPPs to new participants had to be accompanied by reasonable access to quota through the Milk Quota Trading Scheme.

He confirmed that, while he would address this issue in more detail when announcing the rules for the next phase of the Milk Quota Trading Scheme this week, the principle of individual access to quota would apply for the categories outlined in the MPP detailed rules.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editor:
- Tony Killeen T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (with special responsibility for Fisheries and Forestry), is available for interview and further comment on 0035387-2525304. Alternatively please contact Mark Dunphy of Dunphy Public Relations on 00353868534900 or media@dunphypr.com
- High-resolution images of Minister Killeen are available
- A copy of the Detailed Rules for the Operation of Milk Production Partnerships is available on the Department's website at <http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/pressrel/2008/155-2008Detailedrules.doc

Mark Dunphy
Dunphy Public Relations
www.dunphypr.com
media@dunphypr.com
00353-868534900