asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the future for the bacon industry within the EEC; what advice he has to give pig producers or what changes are necessary to gain the maximum benefits.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - Pigs and Bacon Industry.
26.
I would refer the Deputy to Chapter 5 and Appendix of the White Paper published last month on The Accession of Ireland to the European Communities. The general implications for the pigs and bacon industry were earlier set out in the study Irish Agriculture and Fisheries in the EEC which was published in April, 1970. As indicated in the latter publication, “the trend in the EEC at present is towards larger pig production units, including commercial production units, and it seems unlikely that pricing policy in the Community will encourage the fattening of small numbers of pigs”. Small producers here would, therefore, be well advised to consider expanding their production units as many of them have already been doing in response to official exhortations and with the aid of my Department's schemes such as those for piggery grants and farrowed sow grants.
I agree with the Minister that the small fattening unit is out. What is the Minister doing to encourage the big fattening groups controlled completely by producers and by the farming community? What encouragement is the Minister giving to those people or what progress is he making?
There are substantial grants available for the establishment of fattening units by co-operatives and other individuals as well. I would prefer to see the business of pig fattening tackled on a co-operative basis because it is on this basis that a smaller producer can best be integrated into the industry.