andDr. Browne asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether the total requirements of sugar can be met from home production this year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sugar Requirements.
40.
I understand from the Sugar Company that sugar produced from home grown beet this year will approximate to home market requirements.
Will home production this year be sufficient to enable our exporters to meet their requirements from home sources?
Home consumption and export are based on two different sources of raw sugar. Imports are necessary to facilitate the export of sugar or sugar products. Therefore, there is no suggestion that home production would be sufficient to enable exporters to rely only on home sugar.
Therefore, I take it we will need to import sugar, perhaps cane sugar or raw sugar, for the purpose of enabling our industrial manufacturers to keep their place in the export market?
That is the position.
Is the Minister able to say what the total amount necessary would be?
I could not say exactly how much it would be necessary to import Roughly speaking, the amount of sugar required for export is in the region of 20,000 tons or 30,000 tons a year.