Vol. 408 No. 9
62 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his attention has been drawn to the fears of tillage farmers about the future of cereal growing in this country in the light of EC proposals; and the action he intends to take to protect the industry.
I assume that the Deputy is referring to the Commission's Reflections Paper on the Development and Future of the CAP. No concrete proposals have yet been made on foot of this paper but I have made my position clear to the Commission and to my colleagues in the Council. I am determined to ensure that cereal growing remains a viable enterprise in Irish conditions.
In that regard the following points will be of particular concern: producers should be assured of adequate compensation; adequate Community preference must be maintained to ensure that lower production of cereals is not replaced by imported cereals and cereal substitutes. In addition the EC will need to maintain the rebalancing proposals as a priority in the GATT negotiations; any adjustments in support for cereals should take account of the competitive position of grass-based production systems as against more intensive production systems; set-aside arrangements should be on a short term basis which will be capable of responding to changing market requirements.
