asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that the average annual rate of growth in food production per head has risen at a slower rate from 1970 to 1976 in Western Europe than in any of the other major regions of the developed world; if this is a matter for concern; if it indicates a case for a review of the policies being used to encourage food production in the EEC; and if the matter has at any time been discussed by the Council of Ministers or the European Commission.

The Fourth FAO World Food Survey shows that in the period 1970 to 1976 food production per head in Western Europe rose at a somewhat slower rate than in some other regions of the developed world. The value of this comparison must, of course, be viewed against such factors as the effective demand for food products, the differing ratios of population to land and the varying degrees of basic agricultural development of the regions concerned.

With regard to food production in the EEC, as the Deputy is no doubt aware, the Community is already self-sufficient or close to self-sufficiency, for many of the main agricultural products. Indeed the emergence in recent years of surpluses of some of these products, coupled with the high cost to the Community of their disposal, is an issue of concern and controversy in the Community at the present time. Such problems, including the situation on Community and world markets, are regularly discussed by the Council of Ministers and especially at the annual fixing of agricultural prices.

Would the Minister not agree that it is a cause for concern in relation to the common agricultural policy if the increase in food production in Europe is falling behind that of other developed countries at the same time as the problem of world hunger is increasing, and that we should be endeavouring to direct our food production to assist in the alleviation of world hunger?

I suppose that would be the right type of policy to adopt. But we have our problems as regards surpluses within the EEC and we must try to solve that problem first.

Would the Minister not agree that by the time that problem is solved a large number of people will have died of starvation and that that is not the right approach?

I agree.

Would the Minister not agree that it would be wrong to say: we must solve our surpluses problem first before we do anything about the fact that there are millions of people starving throughout the world?

This problem has existed for a long number of years. It is something that will not be solved overnight.

I know that.

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