asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the volume and value of weekly imports of (a) fresh vegetables (b) tinned and prepacked vegetables and (c) processed food such as tinned and packet soups; and the steps that are being taken to persuade housewives to eliminate the unemployment and worsening of the balance of payments caused by these imports which are unnecessary in a predominantly agricultural country.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Food Imports.
4.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate in the Official Report a tabular statement showing vegetable imports for the year, January to December, 1974, and processed food imports for the period, January to September, 1974, the latest period for which such information is readily available. The import statistics requested by the Deputy are not compiled on a weekly basis. I should also mention that the statistics do not classify separately tinned and prepacked goods, nor do they distinguish between goods for direct consumption and those intended for further production.
As the Deputy is probably aware, I set up a special committee in December, 1974, to stimulate the promotion and sale of Irish goods and this committee will be endeavouring to secure a community-wide commitment towards achieving that objective. The committee have already been in touch with the Irish Housewives' Association and other women's voluntary bodies on the question of giving priority to the purchase of Irish goods and have received a favourable response.
Following is the statement:
IMPORTS of vegetables* during the period January/December, 1974.
|
Quantity (Kg) |
Value £000 |
|
|
Fresh vegetables: |
||
|
Potatoes |
663,417 |
29 |
|
Tomatoes |
3,360,580 |
1,197 |
|
Other |
5,464,159 |
618 |
|
Frozen vegetables |
4,288,974 |
1,092 |
|
Dried leguminous vegetables |
9,649,320 |
2,162 |
|
Dehydrated vegetables (except leguminous) |
908,876 |
705 |
|
Other prepared or preserved vegetables |
6,733,016 |
2,366 |
* Including such imports intended for further production.
Imports of processed food other than vegetables†—January/September, 1974.
|
Article |
Unit of Quantity |
Quantity |
Value £000 |
|
Meat preparations, tinned or not: |
|||
|
Meat extracts, juices (ex soup) |
Kg |
132,477 |
198 |
|
Sausages |
Kg |
25,100 |
17 |
|
Other prepared meat and offals |
Kg |
751,716 |
582 |
|
Milk and cream (including skim, etc.): |
|||
|
Evaporated or condensed |
Kg |
62,148 |
21 |
|
Dried or powdered: |
|||
|
Whole milk and cream |
Kg |
87,465 |
35 |
|
Skimmed milk |
Kg |
857,975 |
211 |
|
Butter |
Kg |
840,792 |
369 |
|
Cheese and curd |
Kg |
448,345 |
343 |
|
Eggs, not in shell |
Kg |
238,620 |
163 |
|
Fish preparations: |
|||
|
Prepared or preserved fish |
Kg |
1,856,623 |
1,612 |
|
Prepared or preserved shell fish |
Kg |
48,644 |
71 |
|
Cereals and cereal preparations: |
|||
|
Breakfast foods (cornflakes, etc.) |
Hkg |
27,368 |
894 |
|
Macaroni, spaghetti, noodles, etc. |
Hkg |
292 |
12 |
|
Bread, ship biscuits, etc. |
Hkg |
9,434 |
215 |
|
Pastry, biscuits, cakes, etc. |
Hkg |
110,892 |
2,537 |
|
Flour of wheat or meslin |
Hkg |
3,539 |
43 |
|
Preparations of flour, starch, malt extract for use as food |
Hkg |
27,745 |
1,054 |
|
Sealing wafers, communion wafers |
Hkg |
4 |
0 |
|
Fruit and vegetables: |
|||
|
Fruit, peel, parts of plants preserved by sugar (candied, etc.) |
Kg |
339,908 |
142 |
|
Jams, marmalades, purees, pastes: |
|||
|
—with added sugar |
Kg |
159,580 |
45 |
|
—without added sugar |
Kg |
23,788 |
5 |
|
Fruit and nuts, prepared or preserved NES (including canned) |
Kg |
11,528,930 |
3,064 |
|
Flour, etc. of fruit and roots: |
|||
|
Flour of fruits |
Kg |
2,000 |
0 |
|
Flour and meal of roots and tubers |
Kg |
71,251 |
9 |
|
Sugar, sugar preparations: |
|||
|
Refined sugar (solid) |
Hkg |
115,963 |
2,182 |
|
Sugar confectionery (W/O cocoa) |
Hkg |
31,172 |
1,251 |
|
Flavoured or coloured sugars, syrups and molasses |
Hkg |
86 |
6 |
|
Coffee, tea, cocoa, margarine, etc.: |
|||
|
Coffee extracts, essences, etc. |
Kg |
389,085 |
786 |
|
Chocolate and cocoa preparations, NES |
Kg |
1,629,308 |
1,151 |
|
Lard and other rendered pig and poultry fat |
Kg |
1,381,488 |
323 |
|
Margarine, imitation lard and other prepared edible fats, NES |
Kg |
2,166,316 |
998 |
|
Roasted coffee substitutes, NES |
Kg |
20,878 |
5 |
|
Extracts, essences of tea, etc. |
Kg |
24,893 |
19 |
|
Mustard flour and prepared mustard |
Kg |
126,200 |
53 |
|
Sauces and mixed seasonings |
Kg |
1,660,606 |
586 |
|
Soups and broths |
Kg |
5,000,917 |
1,852 |
|
Yeast and prepared baking powders |
Kg |
1,875,719 |
292 |
|
Vinegar and substitutes |
Kg |
266,893 |
33 |
|
Other miscellaneous food preparations |
Kg |
14,441,608 |
3,598 |
† Including such imports intended for further production.