I think that this Estimate requires very little explanation, and that Deputies understand this subsidy. The subsidy is payable at the rate of 24/6 per cwt. on sugar manufactured, and it is expected that this will provide the whole subsidy with, I should say, the exception of about £30,000, which will probably need to be voted otherwise. The sugar company expect between 9,000 and 10,000 acres of beet this year. Deputies will remember that originally it was not expected that more than about 7,000 acres of beet would be grown in the first year, but after some time it became evident that a larger acreage could be obtained, and it was decided as a matter of policy that it would be bad business to discourage anybody in the counties interested from growing beet in the first year. Consequently all contracts were accepted. I need not now go into the prices to be paid to farmers; that has already been explained on the Bill. The sugar will be manufactured under the supervision of the Revenue authorities, who will certify the polarisation, and suitable arrangements will be made with the sugar company for payment, whether fortnightly or weekly.
I want to make a point which does not arise, except indirectly, on the Estimate, and that is to say that special arrangements have been made to supply seed to the growers. All sugar companies insist on the beet they take being grown only from their own seed. That is not peculiar to this country; it is common to all countries, and the Irish sugar manufacturing company are supplying the seed, through retailers and direct, to the growers. They are supplying direct to all farmers who are growing on contract. In addition, they have supplied a certain amount of seed to retailers, and that will be retailed out to people who have not signed contracts, but who, at the last moment, decided that they would grow beet. Arrangements have also been made for giving credit to growers for fertilisers. A complete mixture which will cost, roughly speaking, about £3 5s. per ton, is supplied on request to any farmer, and the price is deducted by the company from the payments to be made to the farmer, and repaid by the company to the retailer, so that the farmers are getting manures on credit. The arrangements for payments are something like this: There is a first payment of £3 10s. per acre on singling. There is another payment of the same amount in August, after inspection of the crop. Of the balance, half is paid on the 15th of the month for all beets delivered during the previous month, and the final payment must be made on or before 15th February.
It was found that the experiments, which were very extensively and very carefully made last year, were extremely useful. There were about 353 centres, and four different varieties of seed were grown in each. These centres were established in every county. The results of these experiments have been, I should say, almost invaluable to the farmers who are now growing beet for the factory. They established that of the four kinds of seed, two were far the best. That was established firmly in practically every centre. The result was that the company had the advantage of those experiments and were able to supply growers with the seed which did best. They also gave us much valuable information in connection with sugar content, yield and cultivation. These experiments are being continued. Certain points have not yet been fully investigated, points in respect of which sufficient information has not been yielded by the experiments, and in order to cover these points, in order to make the experiments complete, in order to get all the results which we think we ought to get for the purpose of giving advice to the growers, not only in regard to the varieties but in regard to cultivation, singling, sugar content, and a hundred and one other questions, there is a necessity that we should continue these experiments this year. I think it likely that we will have to continue them next year and the year after, but they will gradually be becoming less expensive. The results of these experiments will be published in pamphlet form in the course of a couple of weeks.
One instructor of the Department of Agriculture is set aside for work in connection with the sugar factory. The company itself has two instructors, and more instructors will be employed by the company if they find it necessary. The experiment, therefore, is beginning under excellent auspices. Growers have all the advantages of last year's experiments; they are not in the position of knowing nothing whatever about sugar beet, as grown in a new climate and under new conditions. In addition, the factory itself will probably be the most efficient and up-to-date factory in Great Britain or Ireland.
