asked the Taoiseach if he will state (1) the average yield per acre of sugar beet supplied to the factories in the past year; (2) the average price per ton paid to the grower, and (3) the average cost of production per acre as calculated from the costings investigation of 1948.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sugar Beet Statistics.
The particulars (which should be regarded as provisional) in reply to (1) and (2) of the Deputy's question are as follows: The average yield of sugar beet supplied to the factories in 1951 was 9.65 tons per acre and the average price per ton paid to growers (exclusive of freight subsidy) was £5 9s. 6d. per ton. With regard to (3), the only sources of information available are those of which, no doubt, the Deputy is well aware, namely, the report on "Sugar Beet Costs in 1948" by Professor Michael Murphy, M.A., B.Comm., and the leaflet entitled "Sugar Beet Costs in 1948 and 1952", recently issued by Comhlucht Siúicre Éireann, Teoranta.