asked the Minister for Agriculture if he can state the reason for the wide margin which exists between the prices paid for Irish turkeys in Great Britain and the prices received by Irish producers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price of Turkeys.
I would refer the Deputy to my reply on 20th September last to a question on this subject in which I stated the position regarding present turkey prices.
Is the Minister aware that there is a margin of at least 1/-per lb. between the price which the producer obtains here and the price paid for turkeys in Great Britain? Is he also aware that there is a strong feeling in the country that there is a sort of levy being collected off the price of turkeys in order to compensate for losses incurred by the exporters in other branches of their business in the early part of the year?
I do not think the Deputy is right about the 1/- margin. As a matter of fact, there is something to the extent of 8d. of a margin, or at most 9d., between what is paid for the turkey here, live weight, and what is received from the British Ministry of Food. The Deputy can make out for himself what the various expenses might be. As regards the levy, that is definite. As I explained in my answer on 20th September last, there is a levy of about 2d. a lb. which is collected for the fund managed by exporters of poultry and eggs because they paid too much for eggs during part of the year.
Why is it taken off turkeys?
They had to take it off some people.
It is hardly fair to take it off the turkey producers.
Perhaps they are wrong in doing so—that is a matter of opinion. But they must take it off something.
The producer of one commodity ought not to be asked to pay towards a shortage which occurred in relation to another commodity.
Maybe the Deputy is right there.
Who asked them to pay too much for eggs?
Eggsports, Ltd., regulate what must be paid for eggs and dealers pay accordingly. Sometimes the price has no relation to what is paid for eggs on the other side. This scheme was introduced to encourage egg production at a certain time of the year, but they deliberately overshot the mark by £100,000 and the loss has to be made good.
If I pay so much for calico and have to dispose of it at a lower price, will you make good the loss?
If there was a definite scheme in that connection, I am sure it could be done.
I shall bear that in mind.