asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he is aware that Irish bacon increased in price by up to £70 per ton on the British market in mid-January; and if he will investigate and make a statement as to why Irish bacon factories increased the price by only 50p per cwt.
Written Answers. - Bacon Price.
208.
The prices which bacon factories pay for pigs are not determined solely by the price of Irish bacon on the London provision exchange since the bulk of our production of bacon is sold on the home market. Currently our weekly exports account for 15 to 20 per cent of our factory throughput and it is only to this quantity that the increase referred to by the Deputy applied during two weeks in January. Short-term price rises of this nature cannot be expected to have an immediate significant effect on pig prices.