Grassland premia and extensive livestock production, organic production related to dairy production, permanent pasture premia in less favoured areas, grazing premia

where the production quota has been partly or totally reduced, the amounts of payment to be taken into account for the year concerned shall be equal to the premium amounts that would have been granted in the preceding year, without the reduction of the premium, provided that the production area indicated in the last cultivation contract was not used for the cultivation of a crop eligible under any other direct support scheme in the year concerned.

In case of dairy premium and additional payments, the LU shall be calculated by dividing the reference quantity used for the calculation of the amount of dairy premium and additional payment when included in the single payment scheme by the average milk yield provided for in Annex XVI of Regulation (EC) No 1973/2004 applicable at that time or by the individual milk yield, in case the individual yield was higher than the average.

As a supplementary source of funding for this programme, the premiums allocated in Article 21 may be converted into direct premiums for agricultural producers in line with environmental protection and rural development objectives.

(8) Traditional livestock farming activities should be supported in order to meet local consumption needs of the FOD. To that end, derogations are needed from some of the provisions of the common market organisations which restrict production, to take account of the development and particular conditions of local production, which are quite different from those in the rest of the Community. This objective may also be pursued indirectly by financing genetic improvement programmes involving the purchase of pure-bred ...[+++]breeding animals, by purchasing commercial breeds more suited to local conditions, by supplementing the suckler cow premium and the slaughter premium and, where appropriate, by making it possible to import from third countries male bovine animals intended for fattening under certain conditions, as well as by derogating from the import conditions for animals and foodstuffs of animal origin.

(19) Milk production and cattle farming are the mainstay of the agricultural economy of the Azores, and support for the sector should take account of the crucial importance of these activities in both social and economic terms, especially for small farmers. To ensure the survival of traditional activity in this sector, the suckler cow premium and the aid for dairy cows should continue to be supplemented, within the limit of the available local quota. A supplement to the slaughter premium should be introduced and aid granted for the disposal of surplus male bovines for which no normal outlets can be found in the islands and which must be shipped to the rest o ...[+++]f the Community at considerable additional cost, given the particular geographical situation of the region. To ensure that Community support can be mobilised effectively, a comprehensive programme to support local activities in the livestock and milk products sectors should enable the sectors concerned to define and implement strategies tailored to the local context for economic development, spatial organisation of production and increasing the professionalism of producers.