THE 90-head limit for Beef Special Premium is to be abolished for the 2001 scheme year.

"We have never liked the headage limits on premium schemes because they discriminate against the UK, where enterprises tend to be considerably larger than the EU average," said Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Nick Brown.

"We recognise that this could increase the risk of our national premium ceiling being exceeded, with consequent scaling back of producers' claims. We have therefore decided to protect the incomes of smaller-scale producers by exempting those claiming on no more than 30 animals per year from any scale-back if the national ceiling is exceeded."

Suckler Cow Premium payments are to be topped up for 2001, in the order of £14.50 per head.

THE decision by Inland Revenue to relax rules governing the treatment of farming losses have been welcomed by MAFF Minister of State Joyce Quinn. The concession extends the number of consecutive farming losses which a farmer can make to up to seven years from the current five years, while still allowing the farmers to offset the losses against other sources of income for tax purposes. The concession will apply for the tax tears 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 only.