asked the Minister for Agriculture (a) if he has received complaints that the importation of foreign tomatoes is destroying the home-grown tomato market; (b) if it has been suggested to him as a remedy that wholesale and retail prices should be fixed for each of five grades of home-grown tomatoes so that the public could buy according to their means and thus restrict the importation of the foreign commodity and (c) if he will give favourable consideration to this suggestion.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tomato Imports.
There have been complaints that the Government's policy of ensuring that tomatoes will not be denied to poor people has reduced the profits to which tomato growers have become accustomed in recent years. I am quite satisfied, however, that efficient growers will make reasonable profits this year as they did last year, and I would direct the Deputy's attention to the fact that the home producers are protected from open competition by a customs duty of 2d. a 1b. payable on tomatoes coming from the Continent during the period when the bulk of the home crop is on the market, in addition to the cost of conveying them from the Continent to Ireland.
Fixation of prices for several grades of a perishable commodity of this kind is utterly unworkable and I could not recommend it to the Government.