asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he is aware that there is great indignation amongst butter buyers in the County Kerry because of the action of a new combine styled "Irish Dairy Butter Trade, Ltd.," in monopolising the whole of the butter buying in South Kerry and thus depriving the existing butter buyers in the various districts in South Kerry of their livelihoods; if he will state whether this combine has been formed under the auspices of his Department, and, if so, whether he will see to it that those who carried on butter buying in the past shall not be put out of business by the operations of the combine.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Butter Trade in Kerry.
Mr. Lynch
Mr. Lynch
asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he is aware that there is very great dissatisfaction amongst small farmers in Kerry (part of whose economy is the making of dairy butter) at the very low prices being paid for their butter; and whether in the circumstances he is prepared to consider taking steps to fix a standard price for dairy butter on a basis similar to that for creamery butter.
I propose to take questions Nos. 5 and 6 together.
Serious difficulties are being experienced in arranging for the sale of any quantity of non-creamery butter to the Ministry of Food in Great Britain as supplies of butter of this description are not at present required by the Ministry. If, however, such arrangements can be made in due course it will be essential that the sales to the Ministry shall be made by one body and, accordingly, steps have been taken by firms heretofore engaged in the trade to establish an exporting organisation for this purpose.
My Department has no control over the system under which the exporting merchants acquire their supplies of butter from farmers and, therefore, it is not possible to take action in regard to the business of butter buying suggested by the Deputy.
As regards the fixation of a standard price for non-creamery butter it has not been found feasible because of the variable quality of this commodity to devise a scheme which would ensure to producers a minimum price such as is in operation in the case of creamery butter.