asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he is aware that in parts of the country farmers' butter of first quality is being purchased at 2/- per lb. and if he will take steps to secure a better price to producers for this very important commodity.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Farmers' Butter.
asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he is aware that the price of farmers' butter is uneconomic; and, if so, whether he will take the necessary steps to ensure that producers who have to make butter at home will get a fair return for their labours.
I propose, with your permission, a Chinn Chomhairle, to take Questions Nos. 14 and 15 together.
I am aware that the price now obtainable by producers for farmers' butter is around 2/- per lb. In certain areas in County Galway it is hoped to make arrangements for the collection of milk by neighbouring creamery societies. In County Wexford the farmers' butter produced there has traditionally been consumed within the county, and if the supply of this commodity now tends to exceed the local demand, I hope co-operative societies serving the community in that area will reopen the creamery premises which they used to operate until they closed them down a few years ago. In the Midlands, where a summer surplus of milk is rapidly developing, I hope that public spirited people will consult with the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society for the establishment of co-operative societies which would collect and process this summer surplus for profitable sale as creamery butter, cheese or dried milk in one form or another for which it is hoped foreign markets can be found.
In the meantime, I am informed that there is a strong demand for good home-made butter in all our cities and towns and I trust that the good offices of the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society will be invoked to assist producers of home-made butter to organise the co-operative marketing of their produce in urban centres where the eight-ounce ration of butter does not fully supply the demand. I cannot too strongly emphasise the necessity for all who are concerned for the interests of those farmers, when circumstances require them to make home-made butter, to lend a hand in promoting at once the co-operative marketing of this product while at the same time encouraging those with surplus milk to organise for themselves co-operative societies for the processing and marketing of their milk in the shape of cheese, butter, dried milk and other products of the kind for which there is a good hope we shall be able to procure unlimited and remunerative markets.
Is the Minister aware that good farmers' butter has now to compete with creamery butter which is being subsidised? Would the Minister consider the desirability of paying the same subsidy on good-quality farmers' butter that is now being paid on creamery butter? I have made inquiries in the city in regard to butter prices and I find that the most that can be got here for good-quality farmers' butter is 2/6 per lb.
As the Deputy is aware, a scheme was in operation for one or two years which was intended to subsidise the production of farmers' butter. The result of it was that the good farmers' butter was consumed by the farmers' neighbours while all the bad farmers' butter came to Dublin and to other urban centres under the subsidy so that when I became responsible for the Department of Agriculture there were in cold storage in Dublin 2,000 cwts. of farmers' butter to approach which one had to wear a gas mask. It had to be disposed of in Great Britain for refining and for use as an industrial material. No scheme that I know of will operate effectively to provide a premium for good butter and exclude from the premium much butter of a kind which should never be made. It is much more desirable to divert milk, which is used in the manufacture of home made butter and which is unsaleable on the local market, into the production of creamery butter, dried milk or cheese by the co-operative effort of those who have milk to dispose of.
Is the Minister aware that merchants in certain parts of West Cork have threatened to reduce the price of farmers' butter to 1/6 next week?
In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's reply, I propose, with the permission of the Chair, to raise this question on the Adjournment.