Mr. Bill Callanan:

I agree, but there are approximately 7,000 farmers over 170 kg per hectare who are not in derogation. Therefore, managing compliance is the best way I would describe it. If you look at those who are in that situation of asking themselves whether they manage their milk production, for those who are close they will try to ensure they are in the lower band. That is just normal. I would question, though, because of the availability of the option of exporting slurry or taking additional land or temporary grazing, opportunities that are there in respect of which I would not anticipate that the immediate reaction would be to cull. Having said that, unproductive cows etc. on the farm are maybe a different issue. It is not my figure, but I know, for example, that one of the artificial insemination, AI, companies, which is an expert in that field, has said that 10% to 15% of dairy cows were not covering their cost of production. From that perspective, I presume that somebody who is tight on their nitrates, for example, will maximise their efficiency in terms of milk produced off the farm while managing it overall.