asked the Minister for Agriculture the proposals he has to encourage the acreage under potatoes and vegetables.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Potato and Vegetable Acreage.
6.
I have repeatedly urged farmers to increase their acreage of tillage crops. As compared with 1975 the areas under potatoes and vegetables in 1976 were, in fact, up by 19 per cent and 15 per cent respectively, but weather conditions had an adverse effect on the yield of the potato crop. Market prices for these products have been quite buoyant for some time and provide an incentive for increasing production in 1977.
Technical advice is, of course, available to potato and vegetable growers from my Department and from the local advisory service.
What steps have the Department taken since entry into the EEC to build up export trade with member countries? Prior to our entry the prospects were good for trade in both vegetables and potatoes and now the indications are that the market there is very remunerative.
The Department had to take steps to keep potatoes from getting out of the country and everybody was howling at us to keep potatoes from going out of the country because the price had sky-rocketed. It is not a question of looking for markets. The markets are there if the produce was there to match the markets and the prices are good.
Is the Minister aware that we have the climate and soil for production of both potatoes and vegetables?
Of course.
There is a substantial market abroad to be tapped. If there was an investigation into the possibility there and the people knew the markets were genuine markets they would avail of them. Did the Department do anything for them?
The prices are so high that we are trying to stop vegetables from going out.
(Interruptions.)