asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will inquire into the prices paid for milk by chocolate crumb factories, for the purpose of comparing the return secured by farmers whose milk is purchased by crumb factories owned in part by farmers, with the return secured by farmers from chocolate crumb factories owned and controlled exclusively by confectionery manufacturers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Chocolate Crumb Prices.
Inquiries into the prices paid by chocolate crumb factories for milk purchased by them from creameries have been made by my Department from time to time but did not disclose any appreciable differences in the prices paid by the two categories of factory to which the Deputy refers in his question. Such inquiries will, of course, continue to be made periodically.
I should point out, however, that as the milk purchased by some of theco-operatively-owned factories from creameries is used in the manufacture of other non-butter dairy products such as dried milk and cheese in addition to chocolate crumb and chocolate couverture, the actual prices paid for such milk do not necessarily reflect the value of the milk for chocolate crumb alone.
For the purpose of clarity, I might also add that milk used for the making of chocolate crumb is not obtained by the crumb factories direct from farmers but from creameries.
Has the Minister turned his mind to the return got by farmers for milk supplies to the various categories of chocolate crumb factories, bearing in mind that in respect of those factories partially owned by farmers' co-operative societies they not only get the price of the milk but get an annual share of the profit of the chocolate crumb factories which is passed on to them in the shape of a bonus on their milk prices, and would he consider the relative return got by those who supply commercial factories in which the farmers have no interest in comparison with the farmers who supply factories in which they have a participating interest?
Mr. Walsh
What exactly does the Deputy want—to compare prices of the local with some of the commercial factories—is that the question?
I want you to compare the prices obtained by farmers for their milk when sold to crumb factories of which they themselves are part-owners, with the returns secured by farmers who sell their milk to crumb factories in which they have no proprietary interest.
Mr. Walsh
The Deputy is aware that there are a number of creameries in the country partly-owned by farmers which are making chocolate crumb and there are a number of commercial chocolate crumb factories—to which of them does the Deputy refer?
I want the Minister to compare the return to farmers who sell their milk to chocolate crumb factoriesin which they have no participating interest with the return to farmers who sell their milk to chocolate crumb factories which they own entirely or in part.
Mr. Walsh
As I stated in my reply, it would be very difficult to compare the figures. They are not comparable for the reason that some of the factories which are manufacturing chocolate crumb are also manufacturing butter.
I can assure the Minister that if he formulates a question to the officers of his Department in the form in which I have submitted it, they will have no difficulty in answering it and giving a very dramatic picture of the difference.
Mr. Walsh
If the Deputy puts down the question he wants answered I will try to get him the answer.
That is the question.