Vol. 497 No. 6
142 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his views on the recent picket of the premises of Callan Bacon at Callan, County Kilkenny, when a French registered container lorry carrying pork products was prevented from entering the plant. [25920/98]
143 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his attention has been drawn to the views of the Chairman of the IFA pigs and pigmeat committee (details supplied) that the growing level of pigmeat imports and the lack of commitment from the secondary processors to Irish products were undermining and threatening the future of Irish pig farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25921/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 142 and 143 together.
I support the principle of the single market where EU produced goods are allowed to circulate freely within the European Community. In terms of agriculture and food products, Ireland has a strong reason to uphold such a principle, given our dependence on exports. As far as pigmeat is concerned, approximately half of our overall production is exported, the bulk of it to other member states of the EU. At the same time, the decision to import is a commercial one for the company involved.
Nothwithstanding this, the future development of the Irish food sector must involve a greater degree of partnership and linkage between producer and processor, especially given the large volumes of raw material available in this country. Such partnership brings with it the potential to improve quality, regularity of supply and in turn greater benefit for the sector as a whole. This applies to pigmeat just as much as it does to other sectors.
