asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will say what measures he proposes to take to ensure that adequate supplies of oatmeal and oatmeal products will be available for human consumption for the 12 months from next harvest.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Supply of Oatmeal.
As the Deputy will probably have observed from this morning's Press, minimum and maximum prices payable to growers for oats of the 1942 crop have been announced. It is hoped that the position regarding supplies and feeding requirements will be such that growers will market sufficient to meet all demands and that oatmeal millers will be in a position to purchase their full requirements on the open market.
Does the Minister expect that adequate supplies of oats will be available at the price announced this morning?
I hope so.
Does the Minister seriously believe, after the experience of the last 12 months, that the farmers of this country are going to sell their oats to oatmeal millers at about 10/- per cwt. less than they would get on the open market from other farmers willing to feed pigs and cattle? Does the Minister not know that oats should be making 22/- and 23/- per cwt, not per barrel, on the open market? Does he really believe the oatmeal millers will get the supplies?
I hope so.