Macra na Feirme Welcome Changes to Dairy Partnerships
09 July 2009
Macra na Feirme national president Catherine Buckley welcomed the changes to dairy partnerships which were announced today by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Brendan Smith.
The changes announced by the Minister to the definition of dairy partnerships in the Milk Quota Regulations, requires a minimum of just one dairy farmer to form a partnership. This change is welcome as it facilitates the expansion of milk partnerships to allow non traditional new entrants and non dairy farmers to enter milk partnerships.
‘The changes would provide for New Entrants to farming who have completed their agricultural education and for example have no land or access to quota along with Farm Managers to form a partnership with an existing dairy farmer and gain access to quota, she said
Ms Buckley said Macra had persistently lobbied for the creation of new partnership arrangements to attract new blood into the industry. The removal of barriers to genuine farm partnerships will allow non traditional new entrants and farm managers to enter dairying and will allow existing farmers to gain economies of scale and improve their quality of life.
Macra also welcomed changes to facilitate the expansion of the existing New Entrant Parent Partnership to allow more that one new entrant in a household to enter the partnership.
Ms Buckley highlighted the information meetings Macra are currently holding for young farmers regarding the partnership model of farming in conjunction with IFAC.
Ms Buckley points out, that young farmers should be aware that entering a dairy partnership is a very serious business decision and one that requires a lot of taught and consideration. There are many legal and financial responsibilities which are not part of a sole trading environment and farmers need to weigh up their own situations and determine if partnership are a suitable option for them.
Ms Buckley however, said that while the announced changes are very positive many inconsistencies in the Department's treatment of dairy Partnerships still exist. Macra na Feirme have raised issues on barriers arising from conditions in other schemes that discourage or disadvantage farmers from entering partnerships. Macra believe that individuals entering a milk production partnership are being disadvantage relative to farmers farming on their own.
Ms Buckley concluded by welcoming some of the other changes announced by the minister which are positive towards young farmers and the simplification of the milk quota regime such as the transfer of quota within families, and a broadening of the definition of qualified relatives to include relations of spouses.
