asked the Minister for Agriculture why payments for reactors are only about one-third the price of a similar beast which is not a reactor.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Reactor Cattle Payments.
9.
I cannot accept the statement that payments for reactors are only about one-third of the price of similar cattle which are not reactors. On disposal of a reactor the herdowner gets a grant from my Department and also retains the salvage value he receives from the meat factory. When these two sums are added the herdowner may in some instances receive more than if the animal had not been diseased.
The Minister has said that a herdowner may receive more for a diseased animal but that occurs rarely. With regard to brucellosis, a herdowner may get a worthwhile price for a good beast but he will lose the price of the calf. However, the same situation does not apply with regard to the TB scheme. If a herdowner has a cow with a heavy milk yield or a light beast, the price he will receive will not be one-third of the replacement cost.
I have here a long list of factory prices for diseased and healthy cattle. It is too long to go through now but I will be very pleased to show it to the Deputy after Question Time in order to satisfy him that the prices being paid for reactors are extremely satisfactory.
I presume the list referred to by the Minister refers to diseased cattle. I would point out that the cattle would not be sold in that way if they had not got the disease. The Minister is quoting prices for diseased cattle rather than for healthy cattle and that is completely misrepresenting the whole case.
Even if the cattle are not diseased they will have to be culled for many other reasons. These animals would be regarded as healthy from the point of view of meat. Farmers have to get rid of them but they are not always ready for the market when this happens. The Deputy knows this but he is trying to make a case.
The number of culled cattle is very small.
Farmers have to cull cattle at a certain age.
The Minister kindly offered to show Deputy Callanan a list at the end of Question Time. For the benefit of other Members, would the Minister not agree to circulate it with the Official Report.
It is very unusual to circulate such a list to every Deputy.
It is very unusual for a Minister to hold up a list and tell the House that all the information is contained in that list.
I was holding it up for the Deputy who was interested in the question.
The question was put down by another Deputy.
I will be glad to give the list to any Deputy who asks for it.
Will the Minister not circulate it in the Official Report?
No.
Will the Minister not agree that after a very severe winter in-calf animals are at their worst and in most cases the prices for reactors are much less than what would be received for healthy animals? The prices the Minister has in the list probably relate to the end of last year and early January of this year and bear no relation to March, April and May.
Any farmer who is serious about milk production will not have his in-calf cows in low condition.