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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 5 Jun 1996

Vol. 466 No. 4

Written Answers. - Intervention for Beef Heifers.

Liam Hyland

Question:

269 Mr. Hyland asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he will seek EU Commission approval for the introduction of intervention for beef heifers in view of the fact that these producers have no direct EU support. [11501/96]

The EU has traditionally focused market support measures in the beef sector through the intervention system on male cattle. This approach is based on the view that the removal of steers from the market through intervention purchasing will help support prices for all categories, including heifers. The European Commission has rejected recent requests for the system to be extended to female cattle and decided instead to extend the scope to include male cattle which are not normally eligible for intervention. This was achieved by the temporary waiving of the 340kg weight limit on carcases, its subsequent replacement by a higher weight limit 420kg, and the inclusion of grade 04 steers in the intervention system.

Under the emergency intervention measures, some 10,500 tonnes of steer beef have been purchased into intervention since early April with a further 3,381 tonnes to be purchased over the next two weeks. These intervention measures were supplemented by an increase in export refunds of 9 per cent and 12 per cent on beef from female and male animals respectively from 9 May.

In view of the fact that the Commission imposes an overall ceiling on sales into intervention each month, the extension of intervention to include heifers would be of very limited value because any sales of heifer beef would be at the expense of steer beef.

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