asked the Minister for Agriculture if heifers will be included in the beef quota for intervention so as to maintain a reasonable price for the sale of heifers.
Written Answers. - Beef Intervention Quota.
404.
The class of animal eligible for purchase into intervention is determined by the EEC Commission and at present intake is restricted to steers only. When carcases or sides (as opposed to forequarters or hindquarters) are being purchased into intervention an intake quota of 50 per cent of the previous week's steer kill is applied. In October/November 1980 in an effort to help heifer prices, credit was allowed for heifers in the determination of the weekly intervention intake quota but this did not have the desired effect on heifer prices and was discontinued after a few weeks. As from 7 November intake into intervention will be confined to steer hindquarters only and the 50 per cent intake quota will again cease to apply.
I recently introduced a modification into the calculation of the intervention deboning quota whereby it is now based on a factory's share of the total national kill of steers, heifers and cows instead of, as formerly, steers only. This move was welcomed by producers' representatives and has been acknowledged as having had a beneficial effect on heifer prices.