asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he intends to make any statement on the prices of oats and barley for the coming season.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Oats and Barley Prices.
asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he is aware that malting barley is selling for 120/- to 170/- per barrel of 16 stone in Great Britain, and whether he will bear this in mind when determining the terms on which malting barley is to be sold in Ireland during the cereal year 1942-43.
I will take together the Deputy's two questions regarding prices of oats and barley for the coming season. The question of the advisability of making any alteration in the prices already announced for oats and barley of the 1942 harvest will be considered if changing circumstances would warrant review.
Does the Minister not realise that now is the time for sowing oats and that nobody is going to sow oats if he believes that he will be required by law to sell those oats at 10/8 per cwt. on the legal market when their value on the black market is from 18/- to 23/-? In view of the fact that we are threatened with a wheat shortage, will the Minister take effective steps now to secure the sowing of an adequate acreage of oats by telling the people that they will get either whatever happens to be the market value or that the price to be fixed by him will be such as will bear some relation to the market value of the product?
Only a very small percentage of the oats sown is intended for sale.
Is not that an added argument for allowing the fixed price of the oats to rise? It is not going to affect a large volume of the total production but it may make the difference between production of a surplus and subsistence-production, which will be the ruin of the whole community.
Is the Minister aware that there are considerable quantities of oats in the hands of merchants and farmers which could be secured by the millers if increased prices were paid?
No.
If we are to get the necessary acreage of oats sown, a better price than 10/8 must be held out to the grower. To increase the price next June will do no good.
Seeing that it is almost impossible to get oaten meal in the shops, I think that there is something in Deputy Dillon's contention that encouragement should be given to the farmers to grow oats.
There are no oats for sale.
Is the Minister aware that there is a black market for oats?
I have heard that stated.
If a higher price were announced now, it would lead to larger production, and, if you do not do that, you will not get larger production, with the result that there will be a repetition of the scarcity.
What will they sow on the land?
Does Deputy Allen think 10/8 per cwt. enough for oats?
What will they sow on the land?
What is the use of blathering? If Deputy Allen thinks that 10/8 is not sufficient for oats, why not get up and say so?