asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that grave anxiety prevails among farmers regarding the prospects of securing a remunerative price for next season's wool clip, and what steps he proposes to take to safeguard the interests of the producer.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price of Wool Clip.
The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative.
With regard to the second part of the question, no special measures appear to be necessary. My Department will, of course, continue to keep the position of the producer under review.
Is the Minister aware that large stocks of last year's wool are still unsold on the hands of merchants? Is he further aware, in view of that fact, that farmers are in a state of grave anxiety as to whether they will be able to dispose of next year's crop? Is the Minister also aware that last year his Department, or the Department of Industry and Commerce, intervened to prevent farmers from getting the maximum prices available on the market for their wool? In view of that, will he not take steps to have a minimum price fixed for next year's crop so that prices will not be forced down below the cost of production?
There is no information available to my Department that anybody is anxious about the coming year. Neither is there any information in my Department that any farmer has wool on his hands. As a matter of fact, as far as my information goes, producers have no difficulty in disposing of their wool.
On a point of explanation. I think that in my supplementary question, what I pointed out was that there was wool remaining unsold on the hands of merchants since last year and that that naturally was causing anxiety to farmers in regard to next year's crop.