Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 85: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of farmers who were involved in milk production on 1 January 1998; the number who are now involved; the number she expects to be in business by 2015 taking into account her new proposals for the transfer of milk quota; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12212/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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There were 35,114 farmers active in milk production during the 1997-98 milk quota year and this had declined to 22,386 active producers during the 2005-06 milk quota year. I expect there will a further decline by 2015 but the number active at that time will depend on developments in the dairy sector at national and international levels. It will also be influenced by economic factors as well as the personal circumstances of existing producers and their successors.

The report of the Agri-Vision 2015 committee indicated that the number of dairy farmers is expected to decline to 12,500 by 2015. However, this number could be higher or lower depending on the aforementioned factors, most critically the extent to which international factors influence competitiveness.