asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the present position in regard to the supply of fertilisers, and whether in doing so he will take into account the fact that the extent to which cereals will be sown this year will be determined very largely during the next few weeks by reference to the information which he is in a position to give to the farming community in regard to the supply of fertilisers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Artificial Manures.
I refer the Deputy to the answer which I gave on 4th February to Deputy Hughes's question as to the amount of artificial manures that is likely to be available for distribution during the present season.
The extent to which cereals can be sown this year is not dependent upon the supply of artificial manures. Nearly all of the 800,000 acres that were under potatoes and root crops in 1941 got a full dressing of farmyard manure, and this area has sufficient fertility to produce a good crop of wheat in 1942. In addition to this, there is a very large area of old pasture land which has a reserve store of fertility and can produce good crops of wheat without any artificial manure.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state how it is proposed to distribute the available supplies of artificial manures as between the various districts in the country, so that the distribution will be equitable.
The matter of the distribution of fertilisers is under consideration and it is expected that an announcement on this matter can be made at an early date.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that in a circular recently issued by manure manufacturers the analysis of the new compound manure is stated to be 20 per cent. soluble phosphates, 2 per cent. insoluble, 2 per cent. citric soluble, 1 per cent. nitrogen, 1 per cent. potash; and whether he will explain the discrepancy between this analysis and the analysis given by him in the Dáil on 4th February.
The analysis given in the circular referred to by the Deputy is correct. The figures I gave in the Dáil on the 4th February were in reply to supplementary questions. I had not then the actual figures before me and was speaking from memory.