Vol. 460 No. 3
530 Mr. Cowen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if the EU Council of Agricultural Ministers have agreed that national Governments can assist member states' agricultural commodity sectors which are adversely affected due to currency depreciations; if Belgium, Germany and France have agreed to compensate their horticultural producers; and the plans, if any, he has to compensate hard-hit Irish producers. [19192/95]
536 Mr. Cowen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the steps, if any, that are being taken to avoid the decimation of the tomato sector of the horticultural industry which is suffering losses of £25,000 per acre in view of the drastic fall in the Dutch auction tomato price in 1995. [19198/95]
I propose taking Questions Nos. 530 and 536 together. Most fruit and vegetables, including tomatoes, are the subject of a common organisation of the market and member states of the European Union are precluded from providing assistance out of national resources. The tomato industry is affected by factors other than currency and I am having the position of the industry reviewed in the light of current difficulties.
