asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware of the tendency towards weaker prices for beef and store cattle; and if he will indicate the causes for this, and the general outlook for this all important trade in the next few months.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Beef and Store Cattle Trade.
12.
The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. The prices of fat and store cattle in 1959 have been well above the levels of previous years, there being, of course, a normal seasonal decline about this time each year. I do not think I should attempt to make any forecast as to the outlook for this trade for the months ahead.
Is it not usual for the price of cattle to go up at this time of the year rather than to go down?
That is not our experience.
If it is not the Minister's experience it is not experience of farmers who have fed stock throughout the winter. They expect to get better prices in the Spring. Surely the Minister can give us an indication as to the trend? If he reads the market reports, as I assume he does—if not his advisers read them— he must know that the price of cattle has been falling steadily during the last four or five weeks.
I know that the price of store cattle has increased by 5/- a cwt. since last Wednesday. In view of that, does the Deputy think that it would be wise, or that it would make any worthwhile contribution to those engaged in this business, if I were to attempt to forecast what the coming months hold? There are people in this business outside who have it off by heart and who can forecast much more accurately, I would say, than members of this House, which includes the Minister himself.
Might I ask the Minister if he studies the reports of markets outside the city of Dublin, because if he does he will find, at least in County Wexford, that the price of cattle has been going down steadily?
It is usual for the price of beef to decline at the end of May and in early June. That has been the case over the years. I do not know where the Deputy has been getting his information. I do not want to accuse him of being ill-informed but if he looks up the matter he will find that is the case.