Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 16 Mar 1960

Vol. 180 No. 5

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Market for Pigs.

12.

Sir Anthony Esmonde

asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware of the instability of the market for pigs; and, if so, if he will indicate any remedial measure which he has to alleviate this unsatisfactory position.

Mr. Smith:

While there is a guaranteed minimum price for pigs of Grade A and Grade B1 standard the actual price received over the past twelve months has been considerably above this minimum price.

Sir Anthony Esmonde:

Is the Minister not aware that the price of pigs has fallen within the past fortnight by 10/- per cwt. live weight?

Mr. Smith:

I am not so aware.

Sir Anthony Esmonde:

I am telling the Minister that such is the case. Will he indicate the reason and what measures he will take to remedy that situation?

Mr. Smith:

What situation?

Sir Anthony Esmonde:

The fall of 10/- per cwt. live weight in pigs.

Mr. Smith:

I am not aware of any such fall.

Sir Anthony Esmonde:

I have heard the Minister say that. I am telling him what has taken place and asking him can he not suggest any measures to deal with it?

Mr. Smith:

Even if there are slight fluctuations in price, that is not an abnormal thing. There never was a time when there was not some fluctuation in price, bearing in mind all the factors over which my Department and I might have no control whatever. There is a guaranteed price for certain grades of pigs and, as I explained in my reply, the prices actually paid over the past 12 months have been considerably higher than the minimum guaranteed.

Sir Anthony Esmonde:

Could the Minister indicate if £7 10 0 per live cwt. is less than the guaranteed price for Grade A pigs?

Mr. Smith:

I am dealing with the guaranteed price of 230/- for Grade A and 225/- for Grade B. 1 pigs and I have said that over the past 12 months the price actually paid has been considerably higher than that figure.

Sir Anthony Esmonde:

Would the Minister be kind enough to answer my last supplementary? Does he consider £7 10 0 per live cwt. the correct price for Grade A pigs?

Mr. Smith:

Naturally I am not accepting the figures in regard to prices supplied to me by the Deputy. I am making a statement which I know is true, that the price actually paid over the past 12 months for the two grades to which I have referred is considerably higher than the minimum price fixed.

Sir Anthony Esmonde:

I have asked a very simple supplementary question and the Minister has not answered it. Is £7 10s. 0d. per cwt. live weight the correct price for Grade A pigs?

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle:

That is an entirely separate question.

Mr. Smith:

The Deputy's conception of supplementary questions which are simple would not fit in with everybody else's reasoning. I do not know where the Deputy found the figure which he quotes. What I am saying is that there is a guaranteed minimum price for Grade A and Grade B.1 pigs and over the past 12 months the price actually received by feeders has been higher than that minimum.

Mr. O.J. Flanagan:

Is the Minister serious when he states there is no information available in his Department to the effect that the price of pigs has fallen considerably recently?

Mr. Smith:

I have stated it is not an unusual thing for certain fluctuations to take place in pig prices. That has always been the case and, I suppose, will always be the case but there has been a reasonable degree of stability in prices over a period.