Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 29 Mar 1994

Vol. 440 No. 7

Written Answers. - Broiler Chicken Production Costs.

Seymour Crawford

Ceist:

179 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the increase, if any, in production costs broiler chicken producers have had to bear over the last ten years; and the increase, if any, chicken processors have received from their customers for the finished product.

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

Information published by the Central Statistics Office on broiler feed prices is as follows:—

Table 1

Year	£ per tonne
Starter	Mash	Finisher
1984	296.70	254.85	288.74
1985	288.50	242.01	276.80
1986	283.79	239.56	269.25
1987	277.01	236.97	259.40
1988	281.05	242.68	267.21
1989	288.87	253.94	277.68
1990	281.16	248.02	269.17
1991	277.19	242.04	259.61
1992	274.90	242.95	259.05
1993	284.89	235.83	261.48
(Jan-Aug)

Representative prices derived from data supplied by processors to my Department in respect of product sold by them are as follows:

Table 2

Year	p per Kg
1984	177
1985	176
1986	162
1987	164
1988	174
1989	181
1990	190
1991	172
1992	156
1993	140

The above prices relate to fresh "70 per cent chicken" i.e. plucked and drawn without heads and feet but with necks, hearts, liver and gizzards.