asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is prepared to exempt people having only six acres of land and less from the present tillage regulations, as six acres are barely sufficient for the smallholders to keep a cow and a few calves.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Exemption from Tillage Regulations.
I do not propose to make any change in the present tillage regulations in regard to the matter referred to by the Deputy. The tillage Order provides for the exemption of holdings comprising less than five acres of arable land.
Is the Minister aware that these people with six acres of land are engaged practically from one end of the week to the other working for farmers, putting in and trying to save crops, and that they generally use the six acres allotted to them for keeping a cow and a few calves and perhaps to do a little tillage for themselves? In view of that, will the Minister take the matter further into consideration?
Grow more wheat everywhere except on my constituents' land.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that the production of wheat on some of the poor and acid soils, particularly at higher altitudes, is altogether uneconomic and a great hardship on people concerned, and, if so, if he will consider devising means of excluding such lands from the provisions of the Compulsory Tillage Order relating to wheat growing.
I do not propose to alter the regulations in force in regard to the compulsory growing of wheat. As I indicated in my reply to Deputy Beirne's question yesterday, wheat is, in present circumstances, the most essential of all crops and it is necessary that it should be grown in due proportion by every occupier of arable land.
Fianna Fáil and otherwise.
I am of opinion that the wheat acreage required to be grown on poor soils at high altitudes is relatively small and cannot be regarded as constituting a hardship to the land owners concerned.
Is the Minister going to insist on people growing wheat where wheat cannot be grown economically? The Minister's inspectors are aware of the fact that the production of wheat in some of these soils is altogether uneconomic. They have inspected crops that were wholly uneconomic because the soil condition militated against wheat production. Is it fair to these people to compel them to grow wheat, the only alternative being liability to prosecution? Surely it is not wise even, from the point of view of producing food, to try to produce a cereal on land that is unsuitable for that particular crop but which might produce a good crop of oats.
The Minister has been dyed in the wool for the last 12 years.
We might dispense with the running commentary.
I think the Deputy is mistaken because if wheat cannot be grown on the land, it is not arable, and therefore there is no quota enforced.
Surely the Minister realises that in the case of most land over the 500 contour line there is quite a lot of it that is arable but highly acid because of the conformation of the land? It consists mostly of granite soils. That land is absolutely unsuitable for the production of wheat. It is a gross injustice to the owners to compel them to grow wheat on such land. Has the Minister carried out any experiments on land of that altitude?
No.
Can he point to any satisfactory results?
If the Deputy is going to change over from altitude to acidity, it is a different matter. I do not think that acidity and altitude are the same thing in all cases.
Almost. The Minister is only showing his ignorance. Soil, in high altitudes, is invariably acid.
I was endeavouring to shield the ignorance of the Deputy. I did not succeed.
Is the Minister aware that in several upland areas in my constituency wheat was grown at a considerable loss last season? In some cases the yield was as low as three barrels. Would the Minister consider exempting these people from wheat-growing and letting them grow some alternative crop? They do not wish to escape their obligations, but could they be granted exemption so that they could grow a crop for profit?
There are various factors entering into wheat production, such as management, and even on the best lands of Meath you will have losses on wheat-growing where the management is not good.
In Hugginstown, Harristown, Booley and that territory, all the farmers suffered considerable losses last season in respect to the wheat crop.
I am doubtful about that.
Will the Minister carry out a series of experiments this year to demonstrate that wheat can be grown on altitudes over 500 feet? Will he do that, in order to meet the House?
Question 12.
Will the Minister reply to my question? He persists in saying that wheat can be grown economically on such land and suggests that the failure to do so is due to bad management.
This is not a debate. The Deputy wants to enter into a debate.
With your permission, I propose to raise this matter on the adjournment.