asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is yet in a position to make a statement on the price of feeding barley for this season.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Price of Feeding Barley.
Mr. Walsh
I would refer the Deputy to my reply to his question on the 10th June last.
The reply I got to my previous question from the Minister was that it had not yet been decided whether there was going to be a fixed price or not. May I ask now if theprice is going to be fixed or not, as barley growers are very anxious to know what the prospective market this year is?
Mr. Walsh
I do not think that at any time I told the Deputy whether I was going to fix the price or not.
I am asking the Minster now if he can indicate what the price of feeding barley will be. I have never had an answer to that.
Mr. Walsh
It is not my intention, as I told the Deputy before, to fix the price of feeding barley.
Oh, dear!
I am asking what the price will be. There is a lot of barley grown throughout the country at the present moment and the farmers are anxious to know what the price will be.
Mr. Walsh
I have already told the Deputy on another occasion that the price of feeding barley depends on the prices obtained for pigs, eggs, poultry and beef.
That may be, but surely the Minister must, at any rate, appreciate the fact that some small farmers will have a surplus of barley to sell, and surely he could indicate what he thinks the price is likely to be this year. This is a matter of considerable importance to the barley growers in Wexford and in other parts of the country.
Mr. Walsh
The Deputy can rest assured that the farmers' interests will not be neglected.
Is the Minister aware that some of last year's barley is still unsold?