Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 43: To ask the Minister for Agriculture; Fisheries and Food the effect of the recent E Coli crisis on vegetable growers here and the arrangements made to compensate these growers [17624/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The recent E. coli outbreak resulted in significant loses for horticultural producers and traders across the EU. Thankfully Ireland was not affected to the same extent as the main exporting countries such as Spain and the Netherlands. The sharp fall in consumer demand in light of the crisis resulted in a significant surplus of produce on the EU market.

I attended a specially convened Agriculture Council meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday 7 June 2011 to discuss both the public health and the market related issues involved. The Council was briefed by both Commissioners for Health and Agriculture, Dalli and Ciolos. There was an extensive discussion on the need for a fully funded EU market measure and I am pleased to say that the Commission responded promptly to that demand.

In an effort to remove the surplus product and contribute to the restoration of market balance, the EU Commission introduced a scheme with an EU wide budget of €210m. The Scheme which is 100% EU funded, runs from 26 May to 30 June 2011 and covers cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, courgettes and sweet peppers.

The rates of EU aid on offer are specifically targeted to attract unsold product on the market. In addition, an EU-wide co-efficient will apply to reduce the rates of aid payable if the budget is oversubscribed.

To date over 48 tonnes of unsold Irish cucumbers have been destroyed under the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food supervision in line with the EU scheme. A significant proportion of this produce was destroyed in the immediate aftermath of the E. coli crisis when Irish demand for cucumbers fell significantly. As the scheme remains open until the end of June, a final figure for product withdrawal is not available.

With the exception of cucumbers, the Irish market has now strengthened to the extent that most of the reduction in demand for salad products is only due to our changeable weather. Cucumber sales have been slower to recover but their price and demand are both slowly returning towards normal.

With the exception of cucumbers, the Irish market has now strengthened to the extent that most of the reduction in demand for salad products is only due to our changeable weather. Cucumber sales have been slower to recover but their price and demand are both slowly returning towards normal.

The food safety implications of the crisis were also discussed at yesterday's meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers in Luxembourg, which I also attended. We heard a further report from Commissioner Dalli that there was a decreasing trend in new infections and that all batches of product from the German farm at the centre of the outbreak had now been traced. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) together with the French authorities are in the process of investigating an outbreak in France and a special task force has been established. To date, investigations are focusing on seed grown outside the EU and imported during 2010. Commissioner Dalli emphasised that there was no danger from the consumption of salad vegetables such as cucumbers, lettuce, courgettes and tomatoes.

The Commission acknowledged that there were lessons to be drawn from the outbreak in terms of coordination and the need for clear communication to the public. As is standard practice, the Commission will engage in a full review of early warning and response procedures over the coming months. It will also be looking at whether there is a need to strengthen EU hygiene rules on the production of seed for food for human consumption, taking into account the advice of EFSA.

The Commission also announced that the difficulties for EU exports of fruit and vegetables to Russia had been resolved following detailed discussions with the Russian authorities.