Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 9 Jul 1997

Vol. 480 No. 2

Written Answers. - Grain Growers.

John V. Farrelly

Ceist:

121 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he will proceed with the immediate implementation of a grain growers register with penalties applying to those who create an overshoot of the NBA; if he will ensure that there is no cutting of area aid payments to grain growers; if he will abolish the proposal to cap cereal aid in view of the fact that this discriminates against the traditional grain grower who depends solely on cereals for his income; if he will secure grants for the upgrading of premises to comply with the grain assurance scheme code of practice; if he will ensure that there is a proper declaration of feed ingredients by compounders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13880/97]

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

The Council of Agriculture Ministers has agreed that overshoot penalties may be applied to individual producers responsible for excess production subject to the adoption of detailed rules by the Commission. The new arrangements will involve the use of a growers register which has already been drawn up. Discussions are under way on the new rules which will only be applied if the national base area is exceeded. Present utilisation of the base area in this country is below that limit.

I am not aware of any formal proposal to cap cereal aid and the proposal to cut arable aid payments to cereal growers was rejected by the Council when agreeing the prices package for 1997-98.

The grain quality assurance scheme is an initiative of the industry and it is not yet my intention to provide specific grants for the upgrading of premises involved in the scheme. The provision of grant aid for grain assembly is covered in the food sub-programme of the Operational Programme for Industrial Development. The provision of this aid is severely curtailed by EU Commission rules. Assistance will however be available from my Department's inspectorate in the monitoring of the scheme.

The position as regards the declaration of ingredients by compounders is that EU legislation requires that the label on compound feedingstuffs shows all the ingredients in descending order by weight. As an option, compounders may declare categories of ingredients which are prescribed. However, many of the major compounders are now opting for full declaration of ingredients in descending order by weight and most of the remainder are taking steps to do likewise. I am most anxious that this should become the norm as soon as possible.