Vol. 382 No. 10
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the total floor space at present in use in the State for the storage of agricultural products in intervention; and the total cumulative cost to the Exchequer of the hire or purchase of such storage space since 1973.
47.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the total amount and value of all food products currently in intervention in this country; the plans, if any, he has for the disposal of same; the length of time these products have been in storage; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 29 and 47 together.
Storage space is arranged at a rate per tonne of product stored rather than on a utilised floor space basis. The total amount of all food products stored in intervention in this country at 31 May 1988 is 213,122 tonnes valued at £422.575 million.
The position by commodity is as follows:
Dairy Products
Intervention stocks of butter amount to 77,500 tonnes valued at £170.605 million. There are no intervention stocks of skimmed milk powder in Ireland. Contracts have been placed for the sale of 27,000 tonnes of butter in Irish stores which will be removed from intervention by 15 July next. As a result some 51,000 tonnes will remain in store in Ireland after that date.
Beef
There are 53,700 tonnes of bone-in beef valued at £104.5 million and 54,800 tonnes of boneless beef valued at £145.3 million in intervention.
Cereals
Barley is the only cereal in intervention in Ireland. Barley stocks in intervention amount to 27,122 tonnes valued at £2.17 million.
The earliest dates of entry of food products currently stored in intervention are May 1986 in respect of butter, September 1985 in respect of boneless beef, July 1986 in respect of bone-in beef and October 1987 in respect of barley.
The ultimate decision for the disposal of intervention stocks rests with the appro-Commission, acting through the appropriate management committees. However, the Deputy will appreciate that intervention sales are largely dependent on stock levels and on world market conditions and vary considerably depending on the product involved.
Exchequer costs for storage
The costs incurred by the Exchequer including storage, handling and freezing, are remibursed by the EC at standard rates worked out on the basis of inputs from all member states. Such reimbursements are not sufficient to cover the full costs involved and as a result the operation of intervention involves a significant net cost to Ireland. The cumulative net cost to the Exchequer of all storage of intervention goods since 1973 was £73.232 million.
