asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries what firms imported each type of soft fruit from the Continent for the period 1st July, 1969, to 30th April, 1970.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fruit Imports.
43.
The importation of soft fruit other than as pulp is not subject to import licensing and information as to the importers is not available to me. As regards pulp, the importation of 1,500 cwts. of raspberry pulp from the Continent was licensed for the Irish Jam Manufacturers Association, acting on behalf of its member firms, during the period mentioned in the question.
Would the Minister not consider that, in view of the fact that Irish fruit growers found it extremely difficult to dispose of their crops last year, it seems rather odd that fruit pulp can be imported from the Continent?
I am aware that last year there was a particularly heavy crop of blackcurrants and that free-lance growers who had not contracted with any particular purchaser found there was a sharp drop in price for blackcurrants, but the question relates to raspberries.
Is the Minister aware that one jam manufacturing firm associated, so far as I know, with the organisations he referred to, cancelled all its orders during the fruit season last year, left the soft fruit on the hands of the growers and does he consider that it is in the interests of the fruit growers of this country to allow that sort of thing to happen?
I am not aware that any manufacturer cancelled contracts but if that is the case, I imagine it would be a case for litigation between the grower and the contractor.
Am I to take it then that the Minister has no interest whatever in the fruit growers in this country, or does he agree that British firms who have taken over jam manufacturing in this country should be allowed to import fruit pulp with the result that the Irish fruit growers will have to go out of business?
I cannot see how the Deputy reaches the assumption he reaches when he says that the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries have no interest in Irish fruit growers. What I think happened is that free-lance growers, because of a bumper crop of blackcurrants last year, found it difficult to sell their crop, and had to sell at a greatly reduced price from the previous year when prices were at a record level.
Apparently the Minister is confusing soft fruit with blackcurrants and he is confusing growers with a contract with free-lance growers, and his Department should be able to put him right on that.