Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 25 Feb 1993

Vol. 426 No. 7

Written Answers. - Heavy Lamb Sales.

Ivan Yates

Ceist:

172 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if his attention has been brought to the current difficulties in relation to heavy lamb sales; and if it is possible to introduce an APS scheme to ensure that these hoggets are sold off the market before the spring lamb trade commences.

Ivan Yates

Ceist:

175 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the steps, if any, Córas Beostoic agus Feola are taking to promote additional sales of lamb in order to ensure that the current trade of heavy lambs is more buoyant.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Mr. J. Walsh)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 172 and 175 together.

I am aware of the difficulties referred to by the Deputy in relation to sales of heavy lambs.

While Ireland has been eligible for every monthly tender for aid to private storage during 1992, tenders received from Irish traders amounted to only 524 tonnes in that year.

Córas Beostoic agus Feola (CBF) has in place a comprehensive promotional programme for lamb on both the home and the export markets. On the home market, the ongoing promotional programme includes television, radio and press advertising. On export markets, CBF has a continuous market development programme for the French market, our principal export outlet, as well as a market diversification programme aimed at the Mediterranean region. CBF has also targeted the British and other Northern European markets for further development.

CBF has been particularly conscious of the prospect of increased supplies of heavy lamb at the beginning of the year. On 6 January, CBF met with producers and procesors as a result of which an action plan was put in place to identify new outlets for heavy lambs in overseas markets and to ensure orderly marketing of any increased supplies.