asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will make a statement on the prospects for the store cattle trade.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Store Cattle Trade.
19.
Prices for store cattle have been moving upwards for several months past and at present are not appreciably below the level of prices at this time last year. The average price per live cwt. for store bullocks at Dublin Market on 29th March was 169/- as compared with 173/- at the corresponding market in 1966. Exports of store cattle to Britain so far this year have been showing an improvement on exports in the early part of 1966 and the recent increase of 5/- per live cwt. in the guaranteed price for cattle under the British Fatstock Guarantee Scheme should tend to strengthen the trade.
Since last autumn we have developed an export trade in young feeder cattle to Italy and so far about 4,000 head have been shipped. Every effort is being made to develop this useful trade.
I should like to take this opportunity to remind cattle producers and exporters of the desirability of spreading exports of cattle over as long a period of the year as is possible. Prices of both store cattle and fat cattle are normally at the seasonally lowest points in the late autumn when the supplies coming on the market are heavy. It is to everybody's disadvantage and is liable to cause market upsets if too great a proportion of our exports take place at that time of the year. I fully realise the practical considerations involved but I would urge producers and exporters to do everything they can to distribute their exports more evenly over the year and, in particular, to avoid overloading the market in September, October and November.
Surely the Minister knows that the price of young cattle, especially suck calves, makes them unsaleable at the present time and that the small farmer is dependent on these? He has spoken about the glut in our exports in the autumn. Surely he should realise that the best way to get over that is the setting up of a marketing board? Would he not now do that immediately, when he admits himself that the reason for the drop is the glut?
The Deputy is getting outside the ambit of this question.
But the Minister stated that one of the reasons for the drop in price is the glut of our exports in the autumn and he wants to see a more even distribution of our exports during the year. I am putting it to him that the ideal way to do that is to set up a proper marketing board to deal with this, have stability and continuity of exports throughout the year and not have these hills and hollows, or ups and downs of exports.
The Deputy knows well that the mere setting up of a marketing organisation need not necessarily level out the sales of cattle. He is also aware that I said — as he quoted me as saying — that there was a drop in cattle, or that this was the cause of the drop. I merely took the opportunity of reminding producers and exporters of the desirability of trying to spread their selling a little more widely rather than have a glut in the latter part of the year, if that is possible.
Would the Minister not agree with me that the price of young cattle is £10 to £15 per head less than this time 12 months; that the price of calves is from £15 to £20 less than this time 12 months and that it is on these the small farmer is dependent?
Deputy L'Estrange is fully alive to the fact that if our store trade — which, incidentally, this question is about — moves on as it is doing, and if more of our store cattle are exported, then they will be cleared off the land and, in turn, smaller cattle will be bought by our own farmers, as they are traditionally; in turn, the small man will buy more of these.
It is not happen ing.
The exports of cattle are moving fairly well this year.
Has the Minister anything in mind, apart from just appealing to the farmers to level out this production curve themselves? Has he anything in mind to induce them to put more cattle on the market, to flesh their cattle up for those earlier months?
I would say that the price factor obtaining at the moment is probably the best inducement the farmers could be offered to sell their cattle at these prices, if they are ready.