The average industrial wage-earner has to work less than half the time to buy a basket of staple food items than he did in 1973, according to an Agri-Aware survey published yesterday.
Agri-Aware, which was set up to promote a positive image of the industry, claimed its food survey showed the price of a basket of staple food items is now over 30 per cent lower than if it had tracked the general inflation rate over the period 1973-2002.
The basket of food contained 1 kg of round steak, 1 kg of lamb gigot chops, 1 kg of back rashers, 1 kg of cooked ham, 10 kg of potatoes, 1 kg of onions, 1 litre of milk, 1 lb of butter, 800g white sliced pan, 1 dozen eggs and 1 kg of sugar. Its analysis showed that in 1973 a person working for the average industrial wage spent nine hours and 55 minutes working to earn enough to buy the goods. In 2002 a person on the average wage spent only four hours and 29 minutes working to buy the same basket of goods.
The survey claimed that if the price of round steak had kept pace with inflation over the period of EU membership since 1973, a kilo would now cost €14.02, or over 60 per cent more than the price in 2002, which was €8.71.
"If the price of a kilo of back rashers had kept pace with inflation over the period of EU membership, it would now cost €12.43, or over 20 per cent more than the average price in 2002, which was €10.20," it added.
The price analysis also showed that the price of gigot chops would be 14 per cent more expensive; cooked ham would be 36 per cent; potatoes 9 per cent; onions 100 per cent and milk would be 5 per cent more expensive. Also higher would be butter, almost 50 per cent; bread, 15 per cent; eggs, 40 per cent; and sugar, almost 10 per cent more expensive had prices tracked inflation over the period.
The study also looked at the average price of farm output over the same 30 years and found that in 1973, farmers received an average of €206 for each of their cattle. Figures for 2002 indicated the average price for cattle was €607 an animal.
If the 1973 figure had tracked inflation, the price paid to the farmer would be a staggering €1,569 an animal, or 162 per cent more than 1973.
Mr Mike Magan, chairman of Agri-Aware, said the figures proved that consumers as well as farmers had benefited from the EU Common Agricultural Policy over the past 30 years.