asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he will take steps to modify the Barley and Oats Order for this year's crop to enable farmers who feed more live stock than their land can cater for, feeding stuffs merchants who retail grain, and townspeople such as poultry keepers, pig feeders, dairymen, carters, jarveys and livery stable keepers to buy their corn requirements direct from the producer, as hitherto has been the custom; otherwise they will be compelled to pay the extra charge that double porterage, double freight and the corn merchants' profit will entail.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Barley and Oats Order.
In connection with the order which is about to be made for the regulation of the disposal of this year's cereal crops, consideration is being given to the question of making provision to enable persons such as those indicated in the Deputy's question to obtain, by direct purchase from growers, sufficient corn to meet their requirements.
It is the practice in the county with which the Minister for Agriculture is associated for merchants to retail small quantities of grain to the townspeople. These merchants buy the corn directly from the farmers. If this order is enforced, the producer will get a bad price and the consumer will have to pay more for what he requires.