asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will make a statement on the recent talks between his Department and the British Department of Agriculture on the Anglo-Irish meat trade.
14.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cattle Trade.
11.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he is aware of the drop in the price of young cattle; and what action he intends to take to see that the small farmers get sale for their cattle at economic prices.
15.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if his attention has been drawn to the assessment of probable cattle trade behaviour for the year 1967 contained in the booklet Situation and Outlook produced by the Agricultural Institute, whereby a surplus of 150,000 cattle for sale and export is forecast; what measures he is now taking to avoid a slump in the latter half of the year; and if he will now guarantee to provide headage grants as was done last year.
16.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will make a statement on the outlook for the cattle trade in the coming autumn and the steps his Department propose to take to prevent a repetition of last year's serious slump in cattle prices.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose taking Questions Nos. 11, 14, 15 and 16 together.
I am very conscious of the difficulties that arose for cattle producers last autumn which the Government took practical steps to mitigate, and I can assure the House that I have been keeping the situation in the current year under the closest observation.
I have seen the booklet mentioned by Deputy Donegan which attempts to estimate cattle exports in 1967. I do not think I could accept unreservedly all the estimated figures it contains. For example, the booklet predicts that total exports of store and fat cattle to the UK in 1967 will be less than in 1966. I believe that this is very questionable. Up to the end of May this year the provisional figures for such exports are approximately 50,000 head more than in the corresponding period last year. Exports of carcase beef this year are also well up on last year. Indeed, slaughterings at meat export premises during the first five months of 1967 were 114,000 head higher than in the corresponding months of 1966. These increased exports of live cattle and carcase beef are, of course, helping the market situation for all types of cattle.
Our exports of cattle and beef and the market prospects for the remainder of the year are figuring prominently in the discussions which have been taking place with the British authorities. These discussions are still continuing and I cannot yet make a statement on the outcome. I shall, however, do so as soon as practicable and I also hope to say something more on the situation generally.
Has the Minister any comment to make on the enormous reduction in the number of fat cattle exported this year?
I suppose the comment one could make is that if they are going into the meat factories to the extent of 114,000 head more than last year it would be expected that they would not be there in such numbers for export.
It accounts for a reduction from 150,000 to 30,000.
I have made my comment.
Store cattle are selling at from £10 to £15 less than last year and young cattle are unsaleable at present. Has the Minister any plan? Does he intend to do anything for the small farmer? Is the Minister merely waiting to annihilate the small farmer or to drive him off the land of Ireland? Is there any future for the cattle trade? If so, what is it?
Is the Deputy interested in the small farmer or in merely trying to create greater dissatisfaction amongst the farming community?
(Cavan): The Minister is a good hand at that. The Deputy could not surpass him.