asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will state in respect of poultry, eggs and potatoes what prices were paid to farmers in each member country of the EEC in 1969-70, 1970-71 and 1971-72 to date.
23.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Poultry, Egg and Potato Prices.
22.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will estimate what price Irish farmers would receive at present for poultry, eggs and potatoes if Ireland were a member of the EEC, making due allowance for transport costs, et cetera.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 23 together.
The information in regard to prices in member States of the EEC is in the form of a tabular statement which I propose, with your permission, to have circulated with the Official Report.
The EEC regulations do not provide for target or intervention prices for poultry and eggs and if Ireland were now a member of the Community it is likely that our output of these products would be disposed of almost exclusively on the home market as at present. In the case of potatoes there is as yet no EEC regulation providing for a common organisation of the market. Accordingly if Ireland were now a member of the Community, it is unlikely that there would be any significant change in our present potato price and marketing situation.
Following is the statement:
Average prices paid to farmers in each member country of the EEC for poultry, eggs and potatoes in 1969, 1970 and 1971.
|
Belgium |
Federal Republic of Germany |
France |
Italy |
Netherlands |
Luxembourg |
|
|
Poultry: |
p per lb. |
p per lb. |
p per lb. |
p per lb. |
p per lb. |
p per lb. |
|
1969 |
10 |
9 |
17 |
13 |
8 |
21 |
|
1970 |
9 |
9 |
11 |
12 |
8 |
13 |
|
1971 |
10 |
8 |
11 |
14 |
7 |
14 |
|
(March) |
(April) |
(February) |
(March) |
(March) |
(April) |
|
|
Eggs: |
p per doz. |
p per doz. |
p per doz. |
p per doz. |
p per doz. |
p per doz. |
|
1969 |
15.50 |
17.90 |
19.35 |
19.20 |
14.55 |
23.30 |
|
1970 |
N.A. |
19.15 |
16.95 |
16.25 |
13.15 |
N.A. |
|
1971 |
N.A. |
22.41 |
N.A. |
N.A. |
15.04 |
N.A. |
|
(January) |
(March) |
|||||
|
Potatoes: |
£ per ton |
£ per ton |
£ per ton |
£ per ton |
£ per ton |
£ per ton |
|
1969 |
16.30 |
20.32 |
33.80 |
28.62 |
20.89 |
20.32 |
|
1970 |
21.75 |
20.82 |
34.85 |
29.48 |
26.31 |
23.70 |
|
1971 |
7.83 |
9.11 |
19.43 |
N.A. |
11.34 |
N.A. |
|
(February) |
(January) |
(February) |
(January) |
NOTES:
(1) Source: Prix Agricoles, published by the Statistics Office of the European Communities.
(2) Prices for the different countries may not be strictly comparable and in the case of poultry the classification was changed after 1969 from farmyard fowl to chickens.
(3) The poultry prices are those at slaughterhouse or market except in the case of Italy where they are ex-farm. Egg prices for Germany and the Netherlands are at packing station. The prices of potatoes for France and the Netherlands are at wholesale market.
Would the Minister say, in the absence of a common policy in the case of potatoes and of target or intervention prices in the case of poultry and eggs, there will be free movement of these products within the Community from the time we become a member?
As the reply stated, no common policy has yet been worked out about this and so it is impossible for me to anticipate.
But I am asking the Minister if there is free movement of poultry, eggs and potatoes within the Community at present?
Neither of the questions deals with this but at present, as the reply says, there is no common policy.
About potatoes? You did not say no common policy about poultry or eggs. You did say there was no target or intervention price for poultry and eggs.
Yes.
So, in the absence of a target or intervention price, is there or is there not a free movement of poultry and eggs? It is necessary to know that in order to get an answer to Question No. 23.
And in order to get the answer to that question it is necessary to table the question.
I have tabled Question No. 23. The Minister has given an answer to that question. I am asking a supplementary on his answer. He seems to suggest by his answer that there will be no effect on Irish prices of poultry and eggs. I am asking is that because of some problem of free movement in the export of poultry and eggs to these countries or for some other reason or is the Minister right at all?
The details of the price structure for poultry and eggs are given in the form of a tabular statement which is being circulated in the Official Report and it is quite complex.
The Minister does not know. He should just say so at the beginning and save time.