asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he can state what was the average price paid to farmers for grass seeds by the licensed cleaners in 1937; and what price is being charged by these cleaners for grass seeds to be sold in the spring of 1938.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price of Grass Seeds.
The information at the disposal of my Department is that in the autumn of 1937 perennial rye grass seed was purchased from farmers in County Monaghan by the seed cleaners at an average price of 10/4 per cwt., and Italian rye grass seed from farmers in Counties Monaghan and Louth at an average price of 17/- per cwt. My Department has not access to the prices charged by seed cleaners for the cleaned seed.
Would the Minister not think it prudent to institute inquiries as to what are the average prices being charged for these commodities by the seed cleaners, who are a very restricted class, and who can bring great pressure to bear on the farmers to sell their seeds cheaply, or they will not buy them at all; and having bought them cheaply, can then hold up the farmers for any price they want to get, inasmuch as there is a prohibitive tariff preventing grass seeds from coming into the country? My information is that the farmers are being exploited when they have seeds to sell, and are being further exploited when they buy cleaned seed for the purpose of sowing.
I have been making inquiries on the lines suggested by the Deputy, and so far as the information which I have got goes, it does not bear out the Deputy's contention as to the farmers being exploited. I have got information only from a very limited source, and I should not like to use the figure, but I propose to go further into it.
Very well.