This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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2003 Suckler Cow Premium Scheme
16/06/2003
Suckler cow producers in Scotland will soon be able to
register transfers and leases of quota to cover claims under
the 2003 Suckler Cow Premium Scheme.
The notification period opens on Monday 16 June and will run
until Saturday 6 December 2003 enabling producers to obtain
quota or dispose of any surplus quota for the 2003 Suckler Cow
Premium Scheme which opens for premium applications on 1
July.
Producers will be able to notify the Executive of transfers
and leases of quota up until the date that the Environment and
Rural Affairs Department receives a premium claim from the
recipient of the quota, but this must be no later than the last
day of the premium application period (6 December 2003).
Producers wishing to acquire quota must remember not to submit
their premium claim until
after they have notified their quota transfer
or lease.
Producers with more than seven units of quota should note
that they must use at least
90% of their suckler cow quota in the 2003
scheme year otherwise the unused part will be withdrawn without
compensation. However, producers with seven or fewer units of
quota must use
90% of their quota
every other year if they wish to avoid having
quota withdrawn. To use quota in this context means either to
claim premium on it or to lease it out.
Notification forms and explanatory leaflets for the transfer
and lease of suckler cow quota for the 2003 Scheme year will be
available at the Department's local area offices from 16 June.
If producers wish to take advantage of these arrangements, it
is their responsibility to obtain the form, complete it
correctly and return it to the Department by the due date.
Notification forms SCP-Transfer-2003 for notifying transfers
of quota and SCP-Lease-2003 for the temporary leasing of quota
and an Explanatory Leaflet will be available from Environment
and Rural Affairs Department local area offices from 16
June.
Producers may not dispose of quota by transfer or lease in
the 2003 notification period if they received quota from the
national reserve with effect from the
2001, 2002 or 2003 Scheme years.
It is the responsibility of the producers selling or leasing
out quota to ensure that they have sufficient quota at their
disposal to allow the transaction to take place. If for example
they have not used all their quota in 2002, they should satisfy
themselves that they will not be subject to a withdrawal of
quota under the usage rules affecting their 2003 quota
position, as this could lead to the transfer or lease being
rejected.
Separate but similar arrangements are being made in England,
Wales and Northern Ireland.