asked the Minister for Agriculture the total tonnage of beef and cheese imported by the EEC in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available; the tonnage of each of these commodities which will be imported during the present year; and if he will make a statement on the effect such imports have on Irish producers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - EEC Beef and Cheese Imports.
11.
It is estimated that Community imports of beef and cheese in 1978 were about 340,000 tonnes and 80,000 tonnes respectively. These levels are not expected to alter significantly in 1979.
The imports of cheese were mainly of varieties not produced in Ireland and, therefore, would have only a limited effect on Irish producers. Furthermore, the imports were far more than offset by Community exports of cheese, which amounted to over 200,000 tonnes in 1978. In the case of beef the overall level of imports must be seen in the context of a Community deficit of about 400,000 tonnes, consumption of about 6.5 million tonnes and exports of about 150,000 tonnes per annum. The bulk of the imports of beef take place under contractual arrangements and are subject in most cases to annual fixed limits.
Despite the Minister's detailed reply and his figures for imports and exports, I do not understand how either in the case of cheese or beef it could have an insignificant effect on our market. Does the Minister regard the net difference in imports as against exports of beef of 200,000 tonnes a year as being other than very significant? Do the 200,000 tonnes we export not represent in many cases a very substantial loss to the EEC?
No, there are exporting funds and exports to third countries.
I take it, then, that the 200,000 tonnes exported are exported either at full cost or a profit?
To the producer, yes, the producer price being made up of the marketing price plus the export refund.
Question No. 12.
Then we can take it that this is in fact a net import. We would have campaigned to try to fill up such a gap by way of increased beef production. Even before we entered the EEC, this was one of the carrots held out and on which we sold part of the referendum. How is it that it is still the case that we are importing 200,000 tonnes net, not to talk of the 340,000 tonnes of cheese which, regardless of what the Minister says, must have a quite severe impact——
A question, Deputy.
——on the production of cheese in the EEC? It must have, particularly, when we have far more dairy produce that we can dispose of.
Our exports of both beef and cheese increased very dramatically in recent years and the prices we have got for all these products have also increased significantly. The imports into the Community are very carefully monitored year by year by the Council of Ministers and the danger of a glut situation such as that which occurred in 1974-1975 are very much reduced.
Question No. 12.
Could I finally ask the Minister, even if this is the case, if this were not imported is it not a fact that we could divert the milk being used to create the butter mountain, which we practically give away, in substitution for the 340,000 tonnes of cheese which are being imported?
I am not aware that we gave anything away.
The Russians have been smacking their lips for the last couple of years at the cheap butter they get from us.
Some of the expenses incurred in the disposal of surpluses will be passed back through the operation of the co-responsibility levy and through other measures the Community is adopting for the restraint of dairy production.
Finally,——
Question No. 12. We cannot spend all day on this question.
Would the Minister have things the way they are if he had the final say in the matter?
The Community has a very difficult problem.
I am not asking about the Community.
I recognise the existence of a very real problem in the question of the oversupply of dairy products. It is not in the long term interests of the farmer or the dairy producer that there should be unlimited increase in production. There are certain factors in the securing of that increased production which I have consistently resisted. They are the importation of third country supplies of butter, especially from New Zealand, into the Community, which aggravates considerably the butter surplus within the Community. Of equal seriousness is the importation of soya and other feedstuffs of that kind from the third countries into the hard currency countries of the EEC such as Holland and Germany where it is used for intensive milk production. This type of production within the Community might well be restrained. I agree that there are many serious difficulties in the beef situation, but from the Irish farmer's point of view one only has to look at his performance since 1973. The milk market is buoyant and there is no reason to believe that it will not continue to be buoyant.
Question No. 12.
From that I can take it that the Minister would change it if he had his way.