Adjournment Debate. - Early Potato Industry. – Dáil Éireann (27th Dáil) – Tuesday, 1 Mar 1994

Adjournment Debate. - Early Potato Industry.

Mr. Deasy

I have rushed back from Paris to represent the potato growers of Ballinacourty and other areas on the south coast. The growers are alarmed to hear rumours of the introduction of legislation which would restrict them to planting potatoes in the same area of ground only once every four years. For the people that I and other Deputies represent that would be disastrous and would gravely upset their system of planting and growing potatoes. It is normal for the early potato growers to take conacre. They are small farmers. In Ballinacourty in particular, 20 acres would be regarded as a sizeable holding and people can make a good living out of that if the potator crop is successful, if there is no overproduction and they can get in the seed in good time. The objective is to get the seed potatoes in before St. Patrick's Day in order to get an early crop. However, in a year such as this they may not be able to do so.

A system of rotation whereby the grower could plant the same area of ground only once every four years would destroy their livelihood. I ask the Minister to be flexible. I would not disagree with this legisltion if it were to apply to main crop potatoes. There is a problem there because the potatoes are so long in the ground. The real experts are the people who grow the potatoes in Goleen, Knockadoon, Kilmore Quay, Carnsore Point, Fethard-on-Sea, Ardmore or Ballinacourty. They tell me that the early potatoes are in the ground for only 12 weeks and that eelworm is not a danger. They see no reason for bringing in repressive legislation. They can get value from the land they rent if they can get two crops of potatoes in the three years; in the interim year they will probably plant corn on the same land. The problem the Department wishes to address does not arise in the case of early potatoes but has more to do with the main crop potatoes, which are left in the ground through August, September, into October and, in some cases, into November.

I ask the Minister to give these people a chance. They will not survive if this becomes law. They compete with the Italians and the Cypriots, who have considerably better climates. They do it on a very small acreage and work extraordinarily hard. They are dependent on the vagaries of the weather. I hope the Minister can give me an assurance that this legislation will not apply to the early potatoes and will apply only to main crop potatoes.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Mr. J. Walsh)

I welcome Deputy Deasy back from Paris. I am impressed by his concern for the potato growers of Ballinacourty and the south west generally. I am also concerned, as is my colleague, the Minister for Food and Horticulture, Deputy O'Shea.

Last October Minister Ó'Shea issued a press release with a view to bringing to the notice of potato growers that statutory regulations were being drafted which would introduce a system of crop rotation for potato growing. This advance notice was given in order to draw the attention of growers, particularly those taking conacre, to the importance of implementing a proper rotational practice and to prepare them in good time for the impending regulations.

There is general agreement that the frequent growing of potatoes in the same land leads inevitably to a build-up of potator cyst nematode (PCN), or potato root eelworm, as it is more commonly known. Unfortunately, too many growers fail to observe this fact and the Department therefore has found it necessary to take steps to ensure that crop rotation is practised so as to prevent the spread of PCN and to protect the health status of the national potato crop.

The need to provide the statutory rotation of potato crops is recommended in the programme for the development of the potato sector drawn up by An Bord Glas. This recommendation had the support of all parties involved in the drawing up of the development programme.

In the course of his address to the National Potato Conference three weeks ago, Minister O'Shea again expressed his concern and undertook to have further discussions with the farming organisations before proceeding with the introduction of legislation. Last week he met their representatives and had a full discussion on this subject. He undertook to consider their suggestions and to communicate a decision to them without undue delay. He is at present considering their views on the regulations dealing with rotation for potatoes.

A problem can arise for potato growing which is related to the new rules on cereals following the reformed CAP regime for cereals. It is claimed that it is uneconomical to take land to grow potatoes for one year without a follow-up crop of cereals. Cereal compensation can only be paid on eligible land, that is, land ploughed between 1 January 1987 and 31 December 1991. Cereals grown on "new" ground, that is, ineligible land, would not get the arable aid.

In the context of individual base areas Ireland continues to argue that there is no need for rules on eligible land, as the individual base areas system will have adequate controls. The Commission however refuse to waive these rules and there is no guarantee that the Commission will relent on this. I wish to point out to the Deputy that "early" growing areas have been found to be infested with PCN and that there is evidence that infestation has spread to main crop growing areas through lack of proper hygiene controls. Under existing legislation land which becomes infested with PCN must be put down to grass. It is known that the infestation can remain in the land for up to 20 years. Potatoes which are exported must be certified free from PCN.

I have the advice of experts, but I know that Deputy Deasy is an expert in his own right. He has told me of his expertise in horticultural matters and I know he has a number of tunnels in operation.

Dáil Éireann debate - Tuesday, 1 Mar 1994