asked the Minister for Agriculture the steps which his Department have taken to market Irish turkeys in Britain in November and December, and in particular the steps taken to obtain advance orders for Irish turkeys.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Marketing of Irish Turkeys.
7.
Mr. Ryan
The marketing of Irish turkeys in Britain, including such matters as the securing of advance orders, is a function of the licensed turkey exporters. My Department's function is to keep in touch with the market situation and to provide information and advice on market trends which will be of assistance to producers and exporters in getting the best possible returns for their sales.
Would it not make a material contribution to that end if some steps could be initiated to ensure that licensed turkey exporters would provide salesmen in the London market with a realistic prognostication of the quantities of turkeys they would have to offer during the Christmas season?
That matter has been investigated here in discussions which took place on more than one occasion between wholesalers and my Department.It would be impossible in fact to give any reliable forecast as to the availibility of supplies and the time at which such supplies would be available.
Surely the Minister could seek the co-operation of the licensed exporters in making an effort to give an approximate figure, even if it were 10 per cent plus or minus, to salesmen in the British markets and if he were in a position to do that, does he not think that would greatly facilitate the sales of Irish turkeys by salesmen who are at present in the dilemma that they can offer the retailers in England little or no assurance as to the quantities that will be available?
We have had discussions with the wholesalers here on that particular question only last month. The Deputy himself will realise that it is not in fact the difficulties of marketing that have affected turkey production but the pattern of production that has developed in Great Britain. That is what has made the problem of the producers here what it is.
Will the Minister not agree that the number of turkeys produced here has declined rapidly during the past few years mainly because markets at an economic price have not been found for the turkeys? I am sure the Minister will agree that the prices paid for turkeys during past years were uneconomic?Surely it is the Minister's responsibility to make an all-out effort to provide economic markets for turkeys?
It is the pattern of production, as I said, that has taken place in Britain for the past six or seven years that has created this position. The turkeys being produced in Great Britain in tremendously large units are produced and sold without subsidy of any kind. Turkeys being produced under the traditional methods cannot compete with that system of production. While it is true to say that the number has decreased here, the numbers of turkeys produced on the traditional basis have decreased, and if you take figures in the Six Counties, the fall in the production there has been even steeper than here.
Question No. 8.
Is the Minister aware that a leading——
I have called the next question.
(Interruptions.)
You can always have complaints but the approach to the problem has to be realistic.