Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 208: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will request the European Commission to publish a price series on retail, wholesale, processor and producer prices for each member State on the Internet every three months in order to ensure more price transparency within the European sheep sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18877/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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This is one of the recommendations in the report by Liam Aylward, MEP, to the European Parliament on the future of the sheep and goat sectors, which is being examined. I support the principle of maximum price transparency at all levels. In Ireland producer prices at export meat plants are published weekly by An Bord Bia. This includes a comparison with EU lamb markets.

One of the recommendations of the Sheep Strategy group was a move to mechanical grading of sheep, as is done for cattle. This will provide an objective assessment of quality and enhance price transparency. My Department has facilitated trials on mechanical grading and the results are currently being considered.