Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 3 Mar 1971

Vol. 252 No. 2

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Butter Exports.

39.

Mr. Tully

asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will give a list of countries to which Irish butter is exported, giving the average price per pound in each country for the last five years and the profit or loss per pound in each case.

Mr. Fahey

As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to circulate it with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:

Countries to which Irish creamery butter (in quantities exceeding 10 tons) was exported in the years 1966 to 1970 inclusive.

Country of Destination	Quantity of butter exported
Year 1970	Year 1969	Year 1968	Year 1967	Year 1966
	tons	tons	tons	tons	tons
Great Britain	23,869	17,414	19,316	20,953	13,144
Six Counties	8,467	6,449	8,146	5,905	9,167
West Germany	45
Netherlands	10	49
Italy	47
Gibraltar	15	16	11	27	26
Malta	33	16	13	27	35
Cyprus	139	143	122	1,200	98
Jordan	88	76	31
Saudi Arabia	25	21
Lebanon	1,438	2,356	955
Syria	2,430
Bahrein	16	21	16
Singapore	113	30	20
Hong Kong	47	13
UAR	98
Libya	17	31
Canary Islands	159	82	56
Morocco	5,707	7,266	7,228
Algeria		3,953
Nigeria	12			14	14
Puerto Rico (US)	56
Virgin Isles	15	11
Canada	19
Bahamas	63	115	94	48
Jamaica	92	79	64	169	170
Trinidad and Tobago	225	138	137	194	211
Bermuda	60	48	14	15
Barbados	63	36	32	31	27
Chile	952	2,856	406
Peru	290	88
Israel			18
British West Indies		12	49	13
Switzerland		37			15
Malaysia		35	34

The average price per lb realised on export markets was 35d in 1966, 35d in 1967, 29d in 1968, 24d in 1969 and 29d in 1970. All of the butter exported entailed losses, which averaged, per lb, 16d in 1966, 16d in 1967, 22d in 1968, 26d in 1969 and 22d in 1970.

Disclosure of detailed information in relation to prices realised on individual markets would not be desirable from a commercial point of view.