asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the amount of State aid involved per £1,000 worth of exports of (a) cattle, including live cattle, carcase beef, beef in any other form and milk products, (b) pigs, including pig meat in any form and (c) sheep including all forms of mutton.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - State Aid for Agriculture.
42.
The amount of State aid in the form of export support paid during the 1967/68 financial year per £1,000 worth of exports of each of the three categories mentioned in the question was as follows:—
|
Category (a) |
—£151.2 (including £101.8 for milk products) |
|
,,(b) |
—£150.5 |
|
,,(c) |
—£87.3 |
These figures represent export subventions only. In addition, of course, there were very substantial Exchequer payments in support of creamery milk and on such schemes as the calved heifer scheme, the mountain sheep subsidy scheme, the scheme of grants for farrowed sows, the farm buildings scheme, the lime and fertiliser subsidy scheme, the land project and various livestock improvement and disease eradication schemes.
Do the figures supplied not indicate that the subsidies being provided are very unbalanced as far as pigs are concerned and that this picture calls for a much greater subsidy for the pig industry?
No, the first two figures of £151.2 and £150.5——
And £87.3. Does that not unbalance it very much against pigs?
This money subsidy on lambs, which had not been there and which had not been advocated even by any of those people over there who seem to know the answers now——
I am asking does this not indicate that a greater subsidy on pigs is called for?
If you want to level it with sheep the clear recommendation from the Deputy is to bring it back to £87.
I thought the £87 was for pigs.
No, the Deputy is not seeing——
(Interruptions.)
Is the Minister suggesting a reduction in the subsidy?
The remaining Questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.