Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

To return to a reply I received from Mr. Bryan about the milk quota. He referred to the fact that the quota system will be very beneficial but also that for people looking for finance to develop their sector, the smaller farmer will not be on a level playing field. I think he said that a person with about 250 acres will have no problems going to the bank and getting loans but that somebody with 75 acres will basically be wasting their time. I have serious concerns about that. In many parts of the country, the size of dairy farms would be between 75 and 90 acres. If they cannot compete, the future looks very bleak for those farmers if they cannot get the finance to enable them to develop their sector. The one thing about a quota system is that farmers have a certain assurance regarding what they are going to get. When that is gone, it may make it very difficult for them to survive and I would be concerned about it.