asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his proposals for the years 1988-1989 with a view to increasing the cattle numbers in order that our meat processing factories could operate economically.
77.
Written Answers. - Cattle Numbers and Slaughterings.
36.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the extent to which killing and processing facilities in the meat industry can be utilised by virtue of supplies of animals available for slaughter in this country up to the end of 1988; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 77 together.
The December 1987 livestock enumeration revealed that the non-breeding cattle population over one year old was at the same level as at December 1986. Accordingly, any reduction in disposals this year will result primarily from decisions by farmers to retain more cows and heifers for breeding — a development which is in the long term interests of the industry.
The reduction in cattle slaughterings so far this year has been caused by a number of factors viz:
(i) Slaughterings in the early part of 1987 were very heavy in advance of the introduction of the new intervention arrangements on 6 April, 1987;
(ii) Farmers are retaining more cows and heifers for breeding;
I am confident that the overall downward trend in live exports which has been a feature of recent years will continue over 1988 as a whole, and that market conditions, together with the wide range of supports now available, will stimulate the continuation, this year and next year, of the expansion in beef cow numbers that is already taking place. This expansion is evidenced by the reduction in cow and heifer slaughterings and the increase of about 8 per cent in AI usage in the first five months of 1988 over the same period in 1987.
The supply situation for sheep and pigs is expected to be adequate in 1988. Pig output is of the order of the 1987 level. The national sheep flock has undergone rapid expansion in recent years and I expect a significant expansion in sheep slaughtering at meat export plants in 1988.