asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will be prepared to increase the price payable to farmers under the Bovine Tuberculosis Eradication Scheme due to the increase in the value of replacement stock.
63.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Reactor Cattle Prices.
62.
andMr. Cowen asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries whether, in view of the sharp increase in cattle prices, he will consider raising the ceiling price for reactors.
64.
andMr. Cowen asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he intends to raise the ceiling price of pedigree cattle which go down on TB tests.
65.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will consider increasing the maximum price payable for non-pedigree reactor cows from the present £140 to £200 in view of the increasing cost of replacement of in-calf heifers.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 62, 63, 64 and 65 together.
The prices paid by my Department for reactor cattle are based on current market values, without reference to the results of the tuberculosis or brucellosis tests. Accordingly full allowance is made for any movements in general livestock prices. The maximum limits which were increased in May, 1971, are still well above the general range of market prices even for top class animals.
Could the Minister state when he gave the last increase in the price paid to the producers?
The maximum limit was raised last May.
Surely the Minister must be aware that the difference in the price the Department got for cattle sent to the factory and the price the farmers paid for the replacement stock in the period between May and now is very considerable. The farmers are losing £10 to £15 a head for their stock. Would the Minister consider increasing the price immediately and back-dating it so that these people will not lose money?
They are losing £40 a head.
A reactor going to the factory makes £70 to £80 to £90, depending on size. The maximum compensation is £75, working out at a figure of £150 or £160 at the very most. Would the Minister tell the House where a replacement of the same quality as a 1,000 gallon pedigree animal, for which a total of £155 has been obtained, can be purchased for that money? I should like to hear about it and so would every farmer in the country.
Can the Minister say why it is necessary to have the limit? Are his valuers not competent to assess the true market value of the animal without putting on this restriction?
The figures cited by Deputy Keating are not accurate.
Could we hear what they are?
The ceiling for non-pedigree cattle is £140 at present and for pedigree cattle it is £350. I am well aware of what Deputy O'Sullivan said that, in recent times, because of the increasing profitability of dairying, and other factors as well, the price of dairy cows has jumped forward. The actual result that this circumstance may produce is that more people will reach the maximum. The legislative provisions under which reactors are taken out of herds provide that farmers are to get the full market value of the animals. It is the business of the Department to see that they get this.
They are not doing that.
Would the Minister answer my question? I asked him why is it necessary to have a maximum at all? Are the valuers not competent to assess the true market value?
The Deputy asked that question before. I think it is as well to have some form of recognisable milestone or fixed point by which people can assess the value of animals. It must be accepted, taking the general run of reactor cattle into consideration, that even now the maximum price of £140 is not terribly unreasonable.
Is there not a grave danger that farmers will hold onto their stocks since prices have increased so much over the past year, and so make it harder to eradicate bovine tuberculosis? That is the great danger.
I do not think so. The number of complaints I have got in regard to the price paid to farmers for reactors is very small indeed.
We will arrange for the Minister to have more. There is plenty of concern about this.
I represent a rural constituency and I have run across a couple of complaints from time to time but the number is very small.
I also represent a rural constituency and I also happen to be a cattle salesman. I want to put on record that on Monday of this week I sold a large number of non-pedigree cows for as high as £210 and none of them for less than £167.
The Minister should take up this matter very soon.
I can assure the Deputy that I will keep a close eye on this. I am aware of the steadily rising price of cows.