asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if grade A bacon from the Republic of Ireland is selling in the British market at as high a price as bacon from Northern Ireland and Poland; and if Danish bacon is making 20/- per cwt. more than Irish bacon on the British market.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Irish Bacon Prices in British Market.
24.
In the case of our extra selected bacon, last week's price on the British market was on a par with that for Northern Ireland bacon, was 3/- per cwt. higher than the price for Polish bacon; and was 15/- below the price for Danish bacon. In the case of our Grade A bacon, the price was 8/- below Northern Ireland bacon, 5/-below Polish bacon and 23/- below Danish bacon.
Is that not contrary to what the Minister said last week?
It is not.
The Minister denied this.
I did not deny it. Deputies on that side made a blanket statement that our bacon is making 20/- per cwt less than any other bacon on the British market. I am now giving the figures.
I never made that statement.
You have to compare like with like. I am now comparing our extra selected bacon with other top bacon. In fact, only the Danes are higher than we are. We are equal to Northern Ireland, higher than the Poles and 15/- below the Danes.
Could the Minister explain why we are 15/- below Danish bacon?
There are a variety of reasons.
Give me one of them.
The Danish bacon industry is for a number of reasons, historically and otherwise, the most highly developed and most efficient in the world. We have in recent years, through the efforts of the Pigs and Bacon Commission, my Department and other agencies concerned, been doing everything we can to improve our quality and our marketing. We are succeeding.
I asked the Minister for one reason. That is not a reason why our bacon is fetching less. Why can we not compete? If the Minister sent an independent inspector to the London market and asked the people selling Danish and Irish bacon there for the reason, he would get some of the commonsense reasons which his technical advisers should have told him about years ago.
We have a marketing officer stationed permanently in the United Kingdom who reports to me regularly and comprehensively on these matters. I am fully informed about the situation, but just being fully informed does not mean it can be cured overnight.
Could the Minister say what percentage of our bacon is Grade A Special and what percentage just Grade A?
I shall supply that information to the Deputy. It varies from week to week.