Pig industry price drop
Michael Fitzmaurice warned that pig prices had fallen sharply and asked whether the Government would support the sector. The Taoiseach said agriculture had received significant budget supports and would ask the Minister to engage with him.
Under the farm to fork strategy, beef prices are good at the moment. Dairy might have slipped a bit but it is still not too bad. However, there is a major problem arising in the pig industry where prices have dropped 30 cent a kilogram. Has the Government engaged, or will it engage, with the farming sector to see how it can help a sector that is starting to struggle at the moment?
Comment on this
The recent budget did provide significant supports for quite a number of sectors in the agricultural industry. Obviously, there are still concerns in relation to tillage and I will take on board what the Deputy has said in respect of the pig industry, although I was in north Cork recently and met with a number of people and it was not quite raised with me on that occasion. Certainly, I will ask the Minister for agriculture to engage with the Deputy on that.