asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state whether he proposes to increase the price of pigs by subsidy or otherwise so as to afford an economic price to small farmers, who have to purchase pig feeding stuffs which contain a large proportion of foreign barley or, alternatively, if he proposes to subsidise such feeding stuffs, and, if so, what funds he proposes to use for the purpose.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Subsidy on Pigs.
I do not accept the suggestion in the Deputy's question that the price of pigs is uneconomic. The price for all the exportable surplus of pigmeat available is satisfactorily linked, under the Pigs and Bacon Agreement made by me in 1951 with the British Ministry of Food, to the guaranteed price receivable by pig producers in Britain.
The payment of a subsidy on either pigs or feeding stuffs does not, there fore, arise.
Would the Minister be able to inform the House if a price of 45/- a barrel to the Irish farmer, according to his own statement, would be an impost of £1 per pig on the price? And would he tell us what should be the economic price per cwt. of bacon now when the price of foreign barley is 60/- per barrel?
I would prefer to see that supplementary question in black and white, so that I could apply my mind to the rather involved hypothetical implications contained in it.
I wish to give notice that I shall raise this on the Adjournment.
The Deputies can fight that out between them.
I will give the Minister enough time to think about it.