asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement as to the present state and future prospects of the poultry rearing industry.

Demand for poultrymeat has been expanding rapidly and prices have remained strong. Egg consumption has shown a long-term decline; egg prices were weak last year due to over-supply but have shown some strengthening recently. The future prospects of our poultry producers will depend essentially on their ability to match production to the needs of the market-place.