asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will comment on the extent of the increase in the past year in the value of net imports of fruit and vegetables.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fruit and Vegetable Imports.
45.
The increase in the value of the net imports of fruit and vegetables in the latest 12 month period for which figures have been published, 1st September, 1970—31st August, 1971, as compared with the same period in 1969-70 amounted to £900,000.
The export figure for the 1970-71 period at £6.4 million was up by some £300,000 on 1969-70 while the import figure at £16.3 million showed an increase of £1.2 million on the previous year.
The relevant statistics refer to a wide range of products and various factors related to supply, demand and price would have contributed to the end result. For example, an excess of imports over exports to the extent of £1,280,000 arose in 1970-71 from the items, seed potatoes, £280,000, edible nuts, £300,000, oranges, lemons and other citrus fruit, £130,000, hops, £190,000, and canned fruit, £380,000. The reduced exports of seed potatoes were largely attributable to reduced supplies resulting from abnormal weather conditions during the 1970 growing season in County Donegal.