(Limerick West): asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will indicate in respect of a recent 12 month period, the extent to which butter consumption in this country has fallen compared with the immediately preceding 12 month period; the reasons for the drop in consumption; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Butter Consumption.
33.
Sales of butter for direct human consumption in the period July 1985 to June 1986, the most recent 12 month period for which definite figures are available, have fallen by 22 per cent or approximately 7,700 tonnes compared with the immediately preceding 12 month period.
This fall in consumption is due to a number of factors including changing consumer tastes and the emergence of newly developed spreads on the market.
While I am concerned at this decline in consumption it is primarily a matter for the dairy industry itself to ensure that the market for butter is maintained. The National Dairy Council who are responsible for promoting the sale of butter on the home market have recently launched a major new promotion and publicity campaign to improve the position of butter. It is hoped that this and recent technical innovations which have improved the spreadability of butter will lead to a reversal of the downward trend in consumption levels.
(Limerick West): What action can the Minister's Department and the Government take to stop the further decline in butter consumption?
I attended the launch of the NDC promotion campaign, together with Deputy Walsh. We were impressed with the programme they have in mind which would involve quite a lot of publicity, including some television publicity, on the wholesomeness of butter. It is true that there has been a fairly powerful campaign against butter. With the current emphasis on health foods and pure foods, it should be stressed that butter is a pure, natural food. That would be the most positive way to conduct a campaign. The spreadability factor was overplayed in relation to some of the spreads. The spreadabilty problems of butter can be overcome very simply and this will be demonstrated during the next few weeks
(Limerick West): Will the Minister now take the initiative by persuading the co-operative movement to apply their energies to marketing butter on the home market and, in co-operation with Bord Bainne, to marketing it on the export markets?
Certainly I will do everything I can.
(Limerick West): I should like to know what action the Minister intends to take. It is not good enough for him to say he will do everything he can. We want to know what he is doing.
I have told the Deputy exactly what we are doing. We have encouraged the National Dairy Council who are spearheading a £1 million campaign to promote butter on the home market. I believe this will be a worthwhile campaign. The problems are basically consumer problems. The consumer has been oriented by vigorous sales campaigns towards the use of margarines and other types of spreads.
Do not forget Killeshandra is best.
(Limerick West): The Minister is showing a very short-sighted attitude. On the one hand large sums of money procured from the milk industry are being spent on the promotion of dairy products while at the same time the dairy industry is making a major effort to market spreads, based in part on imported non-dairy products. This is very serious and the Minister and his Department should take an initiative. I am not satisfied that they are taking action. Is the NDC campaign having any effect? Is the Minister monitoring the situation?
It is still early days.
(Limerick West): There is a contradiction in these various sales campaigns.
It is fair to say that some of the spreads contain a high percentage of butter and that the spreads are responsible for quite an amount of butter being consumed.
(Limerick West): But there is a decline of 22 per cent.
One could take 4 per cent or 5 per cent off that, to account for the amount of butter going into spreads:
These are priority questions and supplementaries are confined to Deputy Noonan.