Milk quotas and the changing pattern of dairying in France
Abstract Quotas were introduced in 1984 as a means of controlling output and expenditure in the EEC dairy sector. Far from fossilising production patterns as was originally feared, the implementation of quotas in France was taken as an opportunity for restructuring the industry, particularly through the use of an outgoers payment. The extent and spatial pattern of this restructuring has, however, been severely constrained by social objectives concerned with maintaining production in certain fragile rural areas. In line with more general attempts to decrease support for agriculture within the EEC, the French government is now proposing that future restructuring must be the financial responsibility of the dairy profession and regional authorities.
Modalités de gestion des quotas laitiers français Premier bilan et perspectives
[eng] Dairy quotas management in France. First results and future prospects - Dairy quotas were introduced into the EEC on April 2nd 1984 for a transitory period of 5 years. France choose to apply the quotas to dairy plants. The first two crop years benefitted from the results of a campaign to induce a limitation of production which was very successful in France and which allowed a redistribution of some 1.6 million tons of reference quantities. Producers in a period of growth could thus benefit from an additional reference quantity with a fixed guaranteed minimum for the first crop year. As the national reserve was relatively small, it was impossible to use it as an adjustment device but mountain areas and newly established young farmers were nevertheless granted priority. During the first period, the reorganization between producers and dairy plants did not lead to an important transfer of reference quantities from one area to the other, but it is probable that the redistribution of unused quotas will. The absence of a quota market is probably due to the undefined legal status and ownership of the quotas. The system of applying quotas to the dairy plants leaves a greater liberty of management which is beneficial to the producers but it gives lesser margin for the participation of the farmers in the local management and distribution of reference quantities as well as for the development of a regional decision center. [fre] Le contingentement de la production laitiere a ete instaure dans la communaute europeenne le 2 avril 1 984 pour une periode provisoire de 5 ans. La France a choisi la formule du quota par laiterie. Le deroulement des deux premieres campagnes a ete facilite par des programmes d'incitation a la cessation de la production qui ont connu un vif succes en France, et ont permis la redistribution de 1,6 million de tonnes de reference. Les producteurs en phase de croissance ont pu beneficier de quantites de reference supplementaires avec, pour la premiere campagne, un forfait minimum garanti. La faiblesse de la reserve nationale retenue n'a pas permis de lui faire jouer le role distributeur souhaite, cependant le caractere prioritaire des zones de montagne et des jeunes agriculteurs en phase d'installation a pu etre pris en compte et justifier un traitement plus favorable. Dans un premier temps, le transfert de producteurs entre laiteries et les regroupements d'acheteurs ont entraine peu de migrations de references d'une region a l'autre, mais celles-ci decouleront plus surement de la recuperation puis de la redistribution des quotas inutilises. Si aujourd'hui, on ne peut parler d'un marche des quotas c'est vraisemblablement en raison du flou entretenu jusqu'ici sur leur statut juridique et leur propriete. Le choix du quota par laiterie permet une souplesse de gestion profitable aux producteurs. Cette formule a cependant l'inconvenient d'etre plus difficilement compatible avec une participation effective des producteurs a la gestion locale des references et a un developpement de l'echelon regional comme centre de proposition et relais de gestion.
Enumeration of total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and Escherichia coli in foods by hydrophobic grid membrane filter: supplementary report.
Raw, comminuted poultry meat was used to determine the specificity of the media and incubation conditions used in the hydrophobic grid membrane filter method. Confirmation rates for target colonies were 100% for total coliforms, 98% for fecal coliforms, and 97-99% for Escherichia coli. The results of total coliform enumeration in 30 pasteurized milk samples by both the hydrophobic grid membrane filter method and AOAC method 46.013-46.016 are also reported.