asked the Minister for Agriculture whether it is a fact, as reported in the Press, that the British Ministry of Food have agreed to purchase all our surplus farmers' butter at 2/1 per lb. f.o.b.; and, if so, whether he can state the price per lb. that will be payable to producers under this scheme.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Farmers' Butter.
It is true that the British Ministry of Food have made an offer of 233/4 per cwt. (2/1 per lb.), f.o.b. Dublin or Cork, for the farmers' surplus butter. This offer has been accepted. The butter will be exported by registered butter factories, and the price which these factories will be in a position to pay to producers will be determined by their costs of collection, processing, packaging, etc., matters which ultimately depend on the efficiency of the factories concerned, a factor which I am sure the Deputy will agree, we have every reason to depend upon for satisfactory results.
Is the Minister aware that it was published in some of the papers that the price payable to producers is not more than 1/7 or 1/8 per lb. and does he not think that that would be a very low price and that it would represent too high a margin of profit for the wholesalers?
I think the Deputy is aware by this time that all the factors that go into making up the final price to the wholesaler are very carefully and thoroughly gone into before arriving at that price, and the object behind those efforts is to secure the maximum for the producers and no exorbitant or unreasonable profit for anybody else.
Will the Minister consider, in view of the fact that creamery butter carries a subsidy, the desirability of a similar subsidy for this type of butter, which is a product of equal quality?
It is very easy to consider that kind of thing, but it is quite another matter when you come to get the money out of the pockets of the people.
Does the Minister think that the price that will be paid for farmers' butter is in keeping with the promise of the Minister for Agriculture at the time of the Trade Agreement that satisfactory prices would be assured for everything the farmers could produce?
I do not think the Deputy is speaking for, or would claim to speak for, farmers generally in his supplementary question. The price is not unreasonable, and one of the Deputy's headaches is the extent to which promises made have been kept.