asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he is aware that jam manufacturers are not buying fruit from Irish growers this year except strawberries and gooseberries for which the price offered is approximately 50 per cent below last year's figure; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Soft Fruit Purchases.
48.
I understand that at discussions which have recently taken place between soft fruit growers and the jam manufacturers final agreement was not reached as to what quantity of fruit will be taken up or on the question of price. My information is that the main difficulty relates to gooseberries and to a less extent to blackcurrants. I understand that both sides are meeting again this week.
Is the Minister not aware that the jam manufacturers have informed the growers that they will take a limited quantity of strawberries but will not fix a price until later on; that they will take their gooseberries at £50 as against £90 last year and that they will not take blackcurrants or raspberries or any other soft fruit even if they got them for nothing? Would the Minister say if any effort is to be made to try to fix prices, as was done by his Department in previous years, or is it true that jam, rather than fruit pulp, is being imported and sold openly without any tariff being imposed?
It is true that efforts will be made. A meeting between the growers and the jam manufacturers is to take place this week and thereafter the growers will be coming to the Department to discuss their problems with us. If the Department can give any assistance we shall be very glad to do so. We are aware that, particularly in the case of gooseberries, it is very difficult to place soft fruit. There is an oversupply of gooseberries, even from last year, and jam manufacturers simply do not require them. This is the situation as I understand it. These matters are now about to be discussed between the jam manufacturers and the growers as represented by the National Farmers' Association and thereafter the growers are coming to talk to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries about their difficulties. We shall have a far better clarification after these talks as to the exact nature of the problems of the fruit growers and we hope to be able to assist them then.
Does the Minister say that the only group of representatives to be met is the National Farmers' Association? Is he aware that in previous years the fruit growers' associations for the various areas met and appointed representatives to discuss the matter with his Department? Is he now saying that these people are not to but in on the discussions?
No. I do not suggest any such thing but the conversations that are now under way, I understand, are between the Irish Jam Manufacturers' Association and the fruit growers' committee of the NFA. This ought not and will not preclude other interested growers from bringing their problems to the Department. We shall be glad to hear from them because we want to assess the precise position in regard to the supply of various kinds of fruit. Certain types of fruit are in oversupply and gooseberries are among them. I think there are only 30 acres of gooseberries in the country but even at that jam manufacturers do not require them because they have enough since last year. In the past two years there have been bumper crops of blackcurrants and the jam manufacturers' requirements are consequently a great deal less than they would otherwise be. Prior to that, freelance growers were able to get prices per ton far in excess of the contract price, up to £250 per ton. Because of the bumper crops of the last couple of years these freelance prices have collapsed to a pretty disastrous level. The whole question of the regulation of the supply of soft fruit for jam manufacture needs to be examined closely. Conferences are now taking place between jam manufacturers and the growers and after that the Department hope to talk to the growers themselves. I hope that some more rational system of supply and acceptance will be evolved.
I am sorry to have to ask another question. The Minister has not answered my question as to whether jam was being imported here—not pulp or fruit but jam—and that it is flooding the market. Is the Minister not aware that jam manufacturers will not under any circumstances take any fruit except strawberries for which they will not offer a price but say they will fix a price later on?
Is that in regard to freelances?
No, to the contract growers. For gooseberries they are offering slightly more than half what they paid last year. Does the Minister not realise that at this stage much of the fruit is coming on the market and will be destroyed unless sold, some of it within the next week or so? Does he realise that this means absolutely wiping out the fruit growers unless something is done about it?
The purpose of the conversations between the growers and the Department which are about to take place is precisely to prevent any such wiping out of fruit growers. I accept that the soft fruit supply situation is fraught with a great many difficulties. I think the Deputy is aware of the position in regard to blackcurrants and gooseberries. The Department can only assist in the matter of quantitative quota restrictions on the import of fruit pulp and are doing that. If there are other means by which the Department can assist the soft fruit growers in the maintenance of their market we shall be glad to avail of them.
What about the jam? Is it true that jam is being imported?
I have not got information about manufactured jam. I know it is relevant to this question but I have not that information. If the Deputy will put down a question to me next week on this particular matter I shall be glad, for my own information as well as the Deputy's, to find out what bearing that situation has on the general position.