asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state the total quantity of (i) malting barley; (ii) feeding barley and (iii) maize or milo imported during the months of March, April, May and June, 1952, and further, if he will take immediate steps to restrict imports of foreign grain so as to protect the market for home producers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Barley and Maize Imports.
During March, April and May, 1,476 tons of malting barley and 61,800 tons of maize and milo were imported. No feeding barley was imported in that period. Particulars of imports during the month of June are not yet available.
As regards the second part of the question, imports of foreign grain are at present permitted only to the extent necessary to supplement home production. I am hopeful that, after next harvest, imports of malting barley will not be necessary and that supplies of home-grown feeding grain will be such as will reduce still further our dependence on imported grain.
Can the Minister give us any guarantee that the stores will be cleared of grain before supplies come in during the coming harvest, so that we will not have them half-full the same as happened last year?
Mr. Walsh
I have no information that the stores are even half-full at present.