§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he plans to make to the Commission to ensure that the extensification proposals take account of the larger stocking densities on British farms. [88347]
§ Mr. Rooker[holding answer 28 June 1999]: Member states have discretion to apply either one of two models for making extensification payments in the beef sector. The single-tier model offers 100 euros per head of eligible livestock to producers with stocking rates of less than 152W 1.4 livestock units (LUs) per hectare, while the two-tier model offers 33 euros per head to producers with stocking rates of 2 LUs or less and 77 euros to producers with stocking rates of less than 1.6 LUs. I shall shortly be consulting the industry on which model we should adopt but would recommend the two-tier model (for the introduction of which we pressed in the negotiations of CAP reform) as being more nearly suited to UK farming practice.
§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the number of farmers who would undertake extensification schemes if the stocking rates were set at(a) 1.6, (b) 2.0 and (c) 2.5 animals per hectare. [88346]
§ Mr. Rooker[holding answer 28 June 1999]: The Government do not have at their disposal sufficient data on the basis of which to make reliable estimates of the kind requested by the right hon. Member. Our "best guess" is that, were the UK to adopt the single-tier model for extensification payments, about 50 per cent. of the 73,000 or so producers receiving such payments under current rules would no longer qualify for them. We believe that with the two-tier model, this figure might reduce to 20 per cent.