I feel I have been deprived of my rights to make a contribution on the previous item.
Adjournment Debate. - Potato Industry Crisis.
The Deputy is lucky to be here.
I got back here not with the suffrage of the Minister of State but with the support of the people of north County Dublin. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for affording me the opportunity of raising this issue with the Minister. The crisis in the potato industry which has affected growers in Wexford and Cork but particularly those in Lusk, Rush, Ballyboughal and other parts of Fingal was brought about by heavy rainfall and severe frost just before Easter. The effect of this is that the traditional early Rush flowery potatoes to which we have been accustomed every year will not be available this year. We will have to make do with imported potatoes from Spain, Greece, England and Israel. New Irish potatoes will not be available in the shops until late August or early September.
For many of the growers, particularly those depending on the first and second crops, the financial loss will be devastating and some of them may be put out of business. Some of the crops have already been completely destroyed and ploughed into the ground. Others are very severely damaged and if decisions are not taken to dig them out within the next week blight may take over. We all know the implications of such a development. These farmers and their families are devastated. Having planted the seed potatoes they were looking forward to a bumper crop, particularly as the early indications were that there would be a good yield this year. Compensation must be on the agenda. The growers are particularly aware of the process which must be gone through with Teagasc, the Department of Agriculture and Food, the European Commission and the Government before compensation is paid.
One matter requires immediate attention. The Minister must direct Teagasc survey the extent of the problems and assist the growers in making decisions on the depleted crops. There are precedents for giving compensation but we must identify the problem and I hope this will be done with the help of Teagasc.
The horticulture industry is the Cinderella section within the Department of Agriculture and Food. The vegetable growers are being squeezed out of business and their jobs are at risk. We want to see action. The Minister must direct Teagasc to identify the problem and report on it to the Department.
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Unfortunately the Minister is unable to be in the House this evening. Approximately 1,500 growers are commercially involved in potato production, growing in the region of 16,000 hectares. The annual area planted for early ware production is approximately 3,500 hectares, over 50 per cent of which is planted in County Dublin. As there is no common organisation of the market nor any form of intervention mechanisms such as market withdrawals or export support, the potato sector is subject to normal market forces which can lead to fluctuations in producer prices and in areas planted from year to year.
The Minister for Agriculture and Food introduced a scheme at the end of last year to compensate farmers heavily dependent on tillage crops for their income, for losses sustained as a direct result of the exceptionally adverse weather conditions which occurred in 1997. This scheme was designed to assist a small number of growers, including a number of potato growers, whose livelihoods were threatened as a direct result of the adverse weather conditions and the scheme was a special once-off measure.
Ground conditions during the spring this year were such that it was possible to complete soil preparation and planting of the early potato crop somewhat earlier than in other years. The early potato crops were well advanced in growth as a result of the favourable growing conditions up to the time of the severe frosts in April. The foliage of such crops was vulnerable and was damaged by the severe frost. A setback of this nature to growth would normally result in later harvesting of potato crops and an erosion in the level of producer prices achieved where harvesting overlapped with harvesting of main crop potatoes.
Crop damage from the severe frosts was not confined to potatoes alone nor to County Dublin. Under the circumstances it would be inappropriate at this point to undertake a survey with a view to establishing the extent of potential losses to the early potato crop. Teagasc advisory staff normally monitor such problems and advise producers on crop options available to them. A general record on crop status is normally retained in such areas.
The Minister for Agriculture and Food has no funds available to compensate potato growers whose crops are found to have been damaged by the heavy frosts in April of this year. Weather conditions leading to various levels of crop losses are a normal feature of farming and frost damage is a particular risk for growers engaged in early potato production.