asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he is aware of the losses suffered by beet suppliers because of the limited capacity of factories for taking in beet and that as a result farmers have to leave their produce on the side of the road for long periods thereby losing considerable sugar content; and if he will make a full statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sugar Beet Content.
13.
While losses can take place in the sugar content of beet stored for long periods, it is understood from the Sugar Company that they do all they can to minimise these losses by arranging, as far as possible, beet deliveries to the factories at the preferred time indicated by growers.
The company are at present carrying out an extensive programme of modernisation which by increasing factory capacity will appreciably shorten the length of the beet campaign and so contribute towards reducing storage losses.
Is the Minister aware of the huge losses suffered by producers because the factories were unable to take in the beet at the times scheduled? As a result of those delays there was a lot of sprouting and because of the cut-off of the sprouts, there was a severe loss of weight for the beet suppliers and there was no way of compensating them. Has the Minister been made aware of those losses and has he any way of compensating the people for them?
As I indicated in the reply, the normal procedure is that growers are asked when they would like to take out their beet. They are accommodated as far as it is possible to accommodate them on these times. I do not know if it is the grower's fault or the Sugar Company's fault. I believe in the major number of cases it is the grower's fault that he has beet out a long time waiting for collection.
Will the Minister transfer one of the beet factories to west Cork? If it was there it would satisfy the people and would reduce the transport costs in sending beet to Tuam because it would be manufactured at home.
This is a separate question.
Perhaps the Minister would consider that?
The intake capacity is being very substantially increased by the programme that is being carried out to increase the capacity at the present time.
It has been increased considerably since last year.
It has been increased and will increase again next year.
By what capacity?
Carlow goes from 4,200 to 5,000 tons; Mallow, from 3,100 to 4,000 tons; Thurles from 3,300 to 3,900; and Tuam from 2,000 to 2,200 tons. Those are very substantial increases.
14.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he agrees with the decision of the Sugar Company to set a standard of 16 per cent sugar content for payment on beet; if he considers that this figure is attainable; and the percentage of suppliers that have achieved this target.
The sugar content of 16 per cent to which payment for beet has been related here since the 1975 crop is the standard for the EEC minimum beet price. This in turn is the basis for the contract price agreed between the Sugar Company and the growers.
Information is not available as to the percentage of Irish growers who have achieved the 16 per cent sugar content level but for 1974-75 the average for the whole country for the entire campaign was only fractionally below that level. It should of course be borne in mind that if a standard below 16 per cent were used for pricing purposes the basic price would be correspondingly reduced.
I am aware that there has been a 2 per cent loss in sugar content. Is the Minister aware of the disquiet being expressed by several farmers at the method of testing? Will he also make a statement on whether or not the strain of sugar beet insisted on by the Sugar Company is the right strain for this country?
No country in Europe is as far advanced into the research work that has been done into the type of beet grown as Ireland. That can be said with the greatest confidence. As far as I am aware, the type of testing carried out here is the same as that being carried out all over Europe. The farmers' representatives are standing by, watching every sample being taken. I do not know what gives rise to those complaints.
We are also farmers' representatives and they are expressing serious reservations to us about the method of testing. Surely they must have some grounds for complaint. The Minister did not answer the question about the strain of beet. Is he satisfied that the strain of beet is the right one?
I have said that there is no country in Europe that has put as much research into this as has been done here by An Foras Talúntais and the Sugar Company.
Is the Minister satisfied that we have the right strain?
How can I be satisfied any more than what the experts tell me?
From the figures available at present is there an estimate of what the drop in the sugar percentage will be this year?
I have not an estimated figure.
Is it true that 12 per cent is about average now?
No, it is not true.
Is the Minister aware of anybody getting more than 13 per cent?
Yes.