I move:—
That a sum not exceeding £8,212,350 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1961, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Office of the Minister for Agriculture, including certain Services administered by that Office, and for payment of certain Subsidies and sundry Grants-in-Aid.
As in previous years, I have circulated to Deputies a memorandum giving a considerable amount of detailed factual information on the activities of my Department and on agricultural production, prices and trade.
The net Estimate for 1960/61 is £12,250,350, representing an increase of £878,348 over the original net Estimate for 1959/60 and a decrease of £1,255,152 on the original Estimate plus the Supplementary Estimate for that year. The main reason for the increase in the Estimate compared with the original Estimate for 1959/60 is the Bovine Tuberculosis Eradication Scheme, Subhead M.II. There is also an appreciable increase in the provision for An Foras Talúntais, subhead K.5, which is partly offset by savings on the provisions for services taken over by An Foras. The following services are provided for in the Estimate for the first time: Subheads F.4 and F.5—Grants to University College, Dublin, and Trinity College, Dublin, in respect of their Veterinary Faculties, and Subhead M. 13—Grants to Bacon Factories for certain works of modernisation in layout and plant.
In introducing last year's Estimate, I had occasion to comment on the extremely bad harvest of 1958 which was due to the persistently wet weather of that year. 1959 was a very different story. We had an exceptionally dry summer and a great deal of sunshine. The harvest was saved under ideal conditions, and the yield and quality of grain were excellent. There were also bumper crops of sugar beet and potatoes. Due to the prolonged drought, however, grass was short, and milk production fell appreciably. The drought also adversely affected the cattle and sheep trades, and a substantial number of stock was carried over to 1960.
Taking everything into account, 1959 was not a bad year: it was not as good as 1957 but was very much better than 1958. Gross agricultural output for 1959, including an increase in livestock numbers valued at £11 million, is estimated to be £187.5 million, that is, about £4.5 million above 1958. Net output on the same basis increased by about £5 million, or over 3 per cent.
Among the more important developments affecting our agriculture during the past year was the negotiation of a supplementary Trade Agreement with Britain. This has already been discussed by the House, and it is unnecessary, therefore, to expound it in detail. From the agricultural point of view, this Agreement is important for two main reasons: it reaffirms and strengthens the special trade relations between the two countries, and it provides for the application of the same guarantee payments to our attested store cattle as to British home-bred cattle. The House is aware of the special importance of our trade relations with Britain. The bulk of our exports is sold there and, in turn, we are a very important market for British industry.
Our sales of agricultural products in countries of the European Free Trade Association, other than Britain, are not appreciable. We have a small but useful market in, the countries of the European Economic Community where our sales of agricultural products amount to between £4 and £5 million a year. The future pattern of European trade generally is at present far from clear and the problems posed by the existence of the European Economic Community on the one hand and the European Free Trade Association on the other have not so far been resolved. As regards markets outside Europe, the American market has proved very satisfactory during the past year. Our agricultural exports to the U.S.A. in 1959—mainly frozen beef—amounted to £7.6 million compared with £5.1 million, in 1958.
A few months ago, I announced a number of price and other measures which the Government had decided upon in order to improve the incomes of farmers and keep them in reasonable relationship with those of other sections of the community who had obtained increases in wages and salaries over the past couple of years. These arrangements consisted partly of increases in the guaranteed prices for certain products and partly of measures to increase productivity by reducing costs of production. I believe that these price increases will encourage farmers to maintain and increase further their production of milk, cattle and pigs. Our milk prices are even now not very high by comparison with those of some other countries, but we must always keep in mind the difficulties of selling high cost dairy produce in well supplied markets.
It is obvious that in, the long run the most effective means of helping farmers is to try and reduce the cost of production and thereby increase productivity. The measures I announced a few months ago include a subsidy on potash fertiliser and a remission for twenty years of rates on, new farm buildings and on improvements to existing buildings. These forms of assistance were selected because, as already announced, the Government are particularly anxious that the benefits should apply to as large a number of producers as possible. There is evidence of increased use of fertilisers but there are still too many farmers not making full use of the facilities in this regard now placed at their disposal.
Since I introduced last year's Estimate, the Advisory Committee on Marketing has completed its work. Deputies will recall the White Paper published last December which sets out Government policy in relation to the recommendations made by the Advisory Committee for the improvement of the marketing of agricultural produce. Most of the Committee's main recommendations were accepted by the Government and it was decided:— (1) that an Irish Dairy Produce Board should be established to handle certain dairy produce exports; (2) That the export of bacon to Britain should be centralised in a reorganised Pigs and Bacon Commission; and (3) that the export of eggs should be centralised in Irish Eggs Limited.
The necessary legislation for the establishment of a Dairy Produce Board and the reorganisation of the Pigs and Bacon Commission is in course of preparation and will be introduced as soon as possible. As regards eggs, arrangements have been completed for the centralisation of exports in Irish Eggs Ltd. I should like to take this opportunity of thanking the Chairman and the members of the Marketing Committee for giving so much of their time to a difficult task.
I should now like to deal in some detail with some important aspects of our largest export industry—cattle. The number of cattle on farms as at January, 1960, was 4.3 million representing an increase of over 5 per cent. compared with a year earlier. The number of heifers in calf had increased by 17 per cent. and there were increases of 180,000 in cattle in the 1-3 year old group reflecting the lower rate of cattle exports in 1959. The year under review was, I regret to say, a rather disappointing one for the store cattle trade. Store prices in the early months of 1959 were very high but from May onwards a drop occurred which sharpened during the dry summer and autumn. In part at least due to the drought conditions exports of stores were appreciably lower than in the previous year. The number exported in 1959 was 403,000 compared with 595,000 in 1958.
This was, however, to some extent compensated for by an increase in exports of fat cattle and carcase beef. Exports of carcase beef in 1959 were valued at £10.5 million which represented an increase of £3.2 million over the previous year, while fat cattle exports at £5.2 million showed an increase of £1.7 million. The cattle trade has continued at a somewhat lower tempo this year and the prices of some classes of stock, particularly young cattle, have not been as strong in recent months as in the early part of 1959. The increases in exports of fat cattle and carcase beef have, however, been maintained in recent months.
After careful examination of the position, I do not agree with the view that has been expresed in some quarters, that the reduction in our store cattle exports in 1959 was due to any important extent to resistance by British farmers to our "once tested" cattle. We must recognise, however, that the value of the "once tested" concession is likely to have spent itself well before 1965 and this gives even greater urgency to our efforts to eliminate bovine tuberculosis. In my opinion, an important factor in the present situation is that housewives in Britain have been able to turn to plentiful supplies of lamb, mutton and broilers when beef prices reached high levels. Despite this, however, consumption of beef is expected to show a steady increase with rising living standards and should not be too seriously affected by the availability of other types of meat— although in the future I think we can expect that lower-priced alternative meat supplies will prevent beef prices from soaring too high. In my opinion, the position of the cattle trade is basically sound but the possibility of short-term fluctuations can never be ruled out.
The eradication of bovine T.B. is now our greatest single problem and if I deal with the matter in some detail, it is to underline the importance which I attach to it. The eradication scheme commenced in 1954 in Sligo and Clare and by the middle of last year it had been extended to all parts of the country. Compulsory clearance measures were introduced in Sligo and Clare in October, 1957, in the other five western counties of Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Galway in March, 1958, in Cavan and Monaghan in July, 1959 and in Longford in March of this year. In the remaining 16 counties eradication measures are proceeding on a voluntary basis.
To date the gross expenditure on the scheme has amounted to £12½ million and receipts from the sale of reactor cattle to £5½ million; the net cost of the scheme to date is, therefore, £7 million of which £5 million was spent in 1959-60. For this outlay, the disease has practically been eliminated in the western clearance counties, while in the east and midlands, including Cavan and Monaghan the incidence is being steadily reduced and individually accredited herds are being established. In the south where the problem is more difficult a certain amount of progress has been made—a total of 74,500 reactor cows has been removed under compensation—but it is well to remember that the disease incidence to start with was high and this will make the completion of the task in the south more formidable than elsewhere in the country.
However, investigations which have been carried out by veterinary officers of my Department show that there has been a considerable drop in the incidence of tuberculosis in young stock in the South over the past twelve months and I have no doubt that the pasteurisation of skim milk at creameries which is now compulsory will be a great help in the clearance of that area.
During the past year, there has been a growing awareness amongst farmers throughout the country of the urgent need to complete the job of eradicating the disease and it seems safe to expect a considerable acceleration in the pace of eradication from now on. Much has already been accomplished but of course a great deal still remains to be done. An extra effort now by all concerned will make all the difference as regards the time by which the whole country can be declared free of the disease.
As regards the western clearance area, the rate of testing did not enable area accreditation to be achieved in 1959 as we had originally hoped. We are now confident, however, that the entire area west of the Shannon, comprising the counties of Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon, Galway, and Clare, as a single unit, can be given accredited status by the end of this year, provided that an all-out effort is made by all concerned in the months immediately ahead. In this connection I recently addressed meetings of farmers in the less advanced of these counties and I firmly believe that the required effort will be forthcoming. I repeatedly urged at these meetings not only the importance of accreditation to farmers in the clearance area but that the attainment of this goal in the West would be a tremendous encouragement and example to farmers in the rest of the country to push ahead with the job.
In the meantime, the blue card arrangement which enables our store cattle to be exported to Britain without further testing, as the equivalent of 14-day tested cattle, is being introduced in each of the western counties when the number of reactor herds has been reduced to manageable proportions. This arrangement cannot be brought into operation in a county until a high proportion of the herds there has passed two consecutive tests. The reactor herds in the meantime are placed under movement restrictions which mean that cattle may not be moved from them except under permit which normally would be granted only to enable the cattle to be moved outside the clearance area or to go for immediate slaughter.
This arrangement is already in operation in Sligo, Donegal and Mayo and is being extended almost immediately to Galway, and will be extended to the remaining three counties of Leitrim, Roscommon and Clare in a month or so. The blue card arrangement, valuable as it is, must, however, be regarded as no more than a prelude to full accreditation and as a useful means of accustoming farmers to the controls which will have to be complied with when accreditation is granted.
Co. Donegal is in a different position from the other western clearance counties in that the movement of cattle into the county can be controlled with relatively little difficulty. Marked progress in the county indicate that it past year and the results coming up from the round of testing now in progres in the county indicate that it should be possible to grant the county accredited status in advance of the rest of the western area provided wholehearted co-operation is forthcoming from all concerned.
Cavan and Monaghan were made clearance area counties in July, 1959, and the second round of clearance testing has commenced in both counties. On the completion of this round of testing the blue card arrangement will be introduced in the two counties as quickly as possible. Longford has been a clearance area county since March last and the first round of clearance testing is in progress there.
Testing on a county basis began about a year ago in the ten Leinster counties of Louth, Meath, Westmeath, Dublin, Kildare, Offaly, Leix, Carlow, Wicklow and Wexford and is being availed of by a very high proportion of the herdowners. Although the scheme is on a voluntary basis in these ten counties, over 70 per cent. of the cow reactors disclosed on the initial round of testing have been disposed of to the Department. In these counties it is possible to make rapid progress by the combination of general eradication measures and the establishment of individually accredited herds. When the position in those counties warrants it, and this should not be very long if the effort is made, clearance area measures will be introduced beginning with the counties which have made most progress.
Last October, a new scheme of incentives involving the payment of a headage grant of £15 on each cow reactor sold to a licensed cannery and a substantial bonus when the herd gets a clear test was introduced in the six southern dairying counties of Cork, Kerry, Kilkenny, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford. This scheme has attracted considerable support from herd owners—about 70 per cent. of the total number have submitted applications—but unfortunately, quite a number of farmers in the area, while availing of the free testing of their herds, have done little to get rid of the disease by disposing of reactors.
At this stage of the eradication campaign, such an attitude could not be tolerated. Accordingly, the automatic annual free re-testing of herds in the south was suspended early this year. Free re-testing will be restored in that area during the present month but on the basis that the herd owner must have disposed of a stipulated minimum proportion of his reactor cows in order to earn it. In future a farmer in the south will not have to wait twelve months for further testing as at present. He can have further tests carried out at more regular intervals provided of course he has disposed of his quota of reactors. This process can be repeated until the herd is cleared. More frequent testing will be of considerable value to herd owners who are serious about ridding their cattle of T.B. and will greatly facilitate them in qualifying for the clear herd bonus available in the south.
For the next year or two, one of the biggest problems with which herd owners are likely to be faced will be the economic disposal of uncertified store cattle. Since March last, such cattle have been deprived of entry into herds in Great Britain or into the Six Counties. Uncertified cattle may, however, be exported for immediate slaughter. With a view to facilitating the disposal of such cattle by farmers, butchers here are being indemnified in full from the beginning of this month against loss in respect of any heifer or bullock beef rejected because of T.B., while from the same date an arrangement is being introduced whereby payments related to the British fat stock guarantee payments will be made on fat cattle and carcase beef exported from this country.
Since the beginning of this month, all cattle which fail a comparative test are being branded by means of a hole punched in the ear. This has already been the practice in the western clearance area for some time.
There has been a certain amount of pressure on the Department to have high-yielding reactor cows in the south treated in the same way as pedigree cows for the purpose of compensation, that is, to have them taken up by the Department at market value instead of disposing of them to a cannery under the £15 headage arrangement. The argument is that these high-yielding cows, while more valuable to the herd owner, often make less at the cannery than the lower-yielding beef-type animals. I have considered this matter carefully and have decided to increase the headage grant of £15 to £25 in the case of cows registered under the Department's scheme for the registration of non-pedigree dairy cows. I do not propose to give special treatment to any other categories of high-yielding cows, for example, "recorded" cows.
From early this month, therefore, the following provisions in regard to the eradication scheme have taken effect:
(i) resumption of free herd testing in the south on the basis of the prior disposal of a specified minimum proportion of reactor cows; (ii) guarantee payments in respect of fat cattle and carcase beef exported; (iii) indemnification of butchers against losses from condemnations of bullock and heifer beef because of tuberculosis; (iv) branding of all reactors to the comrartive parative tuberculin test; and (v) special compensation arrangements for registered non-pedigree dairy cows.
When the above provisions have been implemented, I would hope that the pattern of the eradication scheme will have been set for the future. The incentives are fairly generous and the need to complete the job should be obvious to everybody.
I would like to make a special appeal to all herd-owners, veterinary practitioners and others engaged in the cattle trade to give their earnest co-operation in bringing to completion this vital task of eradicating bovine tuberculosis. The campaign has cost a great deal of money so far and looks like costing a lot more, but without the active support of everyone concerned the most lavish expenditure will be of no avail. The fact is simply that if our cattle export trade is to be maintained we have to get rid of this disease. If we were so unfortunate as to have an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease everyone would give of his best to overcome it as quickly as possible because he would realise that our cattle industry was in jeopardy. The problem of bovine tuberculosis demands a similar approach and for the same reason.
There are two other developments affecting cattle which I should mention; these relate to progeny testing and milk recording.
Steps were taken in 1959 to improve the arrangements for the progeny testing of bulls of the dairy breeds— Shorthorn and Friesian—at the A.I. stations. Additional progeny testing units were established, the objective being to have four such units operating in the area of each A.I. station, and the Department has contributed about half the cost of operating the units. Each of five A.I. stations has now all four units operating and the remaining four stations have already gone part of the way. There are about 20 herds per unit and in each of these herds there are two or more heifers in milk, including A.I. progeny. The milk yields of the A.I. heifers are compared with the yields of the other heifers in the herd and the worth of the sires of the A. I. heifers is assessed on the basis of the comparative yields. A number of A.I. heifers are recorded in cow testing associations and records from the associations, where available with contemporary comparisons, have also been used for the progeny testing of A.I. bulls.
Recently the question of integrating the different milk recording schemes so as to avoid overlapping and make for more efficient operation has been receiving active consideration. Associated with this is the desirability of securing more records for progeny testing and of providing more convenient milk recording facilities for farmers than are available to them under the present cow testing scheme. The Department communicated with cow testing associations, the A.I. stations and the Pedigree Cattle Breeders' Council in this matter and has had discussions with a number of interests concerned. Whilst the precise lines of a new scheme have not yet been agreed, I am hopeful that it will be possible fairly soon to secure some integration and provide improved milk recording facilities.
Last year was not favourable for milk production, due largely to the exceptionally dry summer. Towards the end of July, it became apparent that only a limited quantity of butter would be available for export and, consequently, the levy of 17/- a cwt. on butter, which had been imposed in the previous year to meet the industry's share of the export losses, was suspended.
The rate of delivery of milk to creameries as compared with the previous year improved from December onwards. This improvement has been maintained and supplies are running at about 8 per cent. above the 1959 figure but are at present still about 10 per cent. below the 1958 figure. On the assumption that this trend will continue it seems than an export market will have to be found for a substantial quantity of butter and other dairy products. Market prospects are to say the least, not promising but the increase in production is an encouraging sign and the position on the export market for dairy products of all types is being kept under review.
As announced on 12th April last, the price at which the Butter Marketing Committee purchases butter has been increased by 28/- a cwt. This increase permits an average increase of 1.3d. a gallon in the price paid to farmers for milk. The minimum price of milk for liquid consumption in the Dublin and Cork Milk Board areas has also been increased by 1d. per gallon. As indicated by the Minister for Finance in his Financial Statement on 27th April last, in view of the increase in the price of milk, provision has been made in the Budget for an increase of £550,000 on the original estimate of £250,000 for subsidies on dairy produce to cover the possible Exchequer liability in respect of creamery butter and also a liability — assumed provisionally pending the establishment of the Dairy Produce Board—in respect of exports of certain other dairy products.
Pig production during the last year has been somewhat lower than the year before, but the census for January, 1960, shows a distinct upward trend as compared with the January 1959, census. In January, 1960, pigs numbered 875,000, that is more than 10 per cent. higher than last year. The increase in sows was 17 per cent. and in pigs under three months 16 per cent. This should be reflected in higher output during the remainder of 1960. The recent introduction of the new Grade A Special for bacon pigs, for which the minimum price is 245/- per cwt. deadweight as compared with 230/- for ordinary grade A, should afford a further incentive to farmers to aim at quality improvement.
I may mention that at this early stage an average of about 17 per cent. of pigs of at least Grade A standard qualify for the A Special Grade. The initial exports of bacon from these Grade A Special pigs have been well received on the export market, and it is hoped that we are now on the road to securing a much better place in that market. On the production side, reports have been published during the past year on the four pig progeny tests already completed at the Cork station and these will be a valuable guide to breeders. On the processing side, there is a new provision under Sub-Head M.13 of the present Estimate for the payment of grants to bacon factories in respect of modernisation in layout and plant. This State assistance to bacon factories was adumbrated in the White Paper on the Government's Programme for Economic Expansion.
The January, 1960 census indicates a continuing expansion of sheep production. Sheep numbered 3.2 million and were 4 per cent. higher than in the previous year. Ewes for breeding had increased by 5 per cent. The export market situation in the Autumn of 1959, influenced largely by drought conditions in Britain, was very unfavourable, but the market improved later in the year and for the past few months prices have been up to and sometimes above last year's levels. There was also a substantial increase in the number of store sheep exported in 1959, and these of course qualified for British Fatstock Guarantee Scheme payments after fattening in Britain or the Six Counties. Given reasonably normal conditions this year, we should not have cause for undue worry about the situation. The trend of supplies abroad is, however, generally upward rather than the reverse.
In regard to the poultry industry, the January census figures do not indicate any significant change in numbers. I may mention that development work for the purpose of stock improvement, especially in the case of turkeys and broilers, is being expanded and increased facilities have been provided during the past year for breeding and propagation work at the Department's institutions concerned. The increased facilities will permit of effective breeding programmes for the general distribution of stock of the best strains procurable. Improvement in the quality of turkeys to meet the now very keen competition on the export market is urgently required and this is being promoted by assistance towards the formation and development of more supply farms and breeder hatcheries and by encouraging turkey breeders who have not yet purchased poults from commercial or breeder hatcheries to avail themselves of the facilities obtainable from those sources. The area under wheat fell substantially in 1959 but the crop was a very good one and the quantity sold to the flour millers was approximately 270,000 tons dried or 30,000 tons less than the target. Growers received the maximum or near maximum price for all the wheat sold.
A very welcome feature of last year's harvest was the increase in production of feeding barley. The acreage under the crop was the highest on record. Prior to the harvest various proposals were made to me as to how the crop should be marketed. After full consideration of all the problems involved and with a view to ensuring, firstly, that the growers would receive at least the floor price previously announced, and secondly that barley would be made available to feeders at the lowest price possible, I decided to leave the marketing of the crop to the trade interests concerned. At that time the indications were that our full requirements of coarse grain would be met from the home crop. In those circumstances and in view of the fact that some maize is required for special foods, I agreed at the harvest time to the export of barley against the imports of a limited quantity of maize on a ton for ton basis.
It subsequently transpired that additional quantities of coarse grain would be needed to supplement home supplies up to next harvest and the barley exports were used as a basis for allowing the additional imports. With the co-operation of all the interests concerned I am glad to say that the arrangements made worked satisfactorily this year; there was no difficulty in marketing the barley and, generally speaking, feeding stuffs were available at reasonable prices throughout the year.
I may mention that the prices of compound feeding stuffs for pigs are now £1 to £1 10.0. a ton cheaper than they were at this time last year. Another point worthy of mention is the fact that growers of feeding barley retained more than half the crop for feeding to their own stock. Not only is it in the interests of the growers themselves to hold the greater proportion of their production of feeding barley but by doing this they ease considerably the overall marketing problem.
In addition to the exports of feeding barley there were also limited exports of seed barley, malting barley and malt during the year. We are all anxious to see this type of export expanded and every encouragement will be given to the exporters concerned in this regard.
In the case of oats the area sown in 1959 was slightly higher than in 1958. No official control was exercised over the marketing of the crop. With the exception, of a limited quantity of seed oats imports of oats were not permitted when the home produced oats became available.
As regards the current year, it was announced in December last year that the price for wheat would be unchanged; that the levy arrangement would be continued for this year; that the question of a quota system had not been dropped but that legislation would be needed if it were to be introduced.
On the basis of present information it seems that there has been a substantial increase in the wheat acreage as compared with last year and that a levy will be necessary, but before the rate of the levy can be determined I shall have to consult with An Bord Gráin as required by the Act.
It appears that there may be some reduction in the feeding barley acreage this year. If this forecast is borne out the fall in acreage is a matter for regret, particularly with a surplus of wheat in prospect. Increased production of feeding barley for use wherever possible on the farm where grown must remain one of the keystones in our livestock production policy. It is, however, difficult to make a firm estimate at this stage as the quantity of seed retained by growers for their own use is not known. As I have indicated already, the arrangements made for the marketing of last year's barley crop worked satisfactorily. I am proposing to make arrangements on somewhat similar lines this year. It is unlikely that there will be much change in the oats situation and it may be taken that, except for limited quantities of seed, imports will not be permitted so long as requirements can be met from home sources.
The number of applications received under the Land Project in the year 1959/60 was 26,900, an increase of more than 3,000 over the previous year. There is quite a considerable backlog of applications awaiting attention, representing roughly twelve months' work on the average. I am concerned to reduce to the minimum the time that elapses between the date a farmer makes his application and the date on which the application is investigated and to this end I have, during the past year, called the local officers together and personally impressed on them the need for speeding up the work of the project. In addition, I have initiated measures designed to cut out unnecessary office procedures in order to make more time available for the actual preparation of schemes. I am happy to say that during the past six months this has begun to show results as the number of approvals issued has been in excess of the number of applications received, which, of course, means that inroads have begun to be made on the backlog. Since I periodically supply Deputies with statistics indicating the progress made with land reclamation, it is not necessary now to go into the matter in more detail.
Under the Fertilisers Section of the Project 9,000 applications have from the outset been received of which over 8,600 have been dealt with involving a total area of 355,000 acres. Delivery and spreading of lime and fertilisers to the value of over £900,000 have been effected or arranged for on 171,000 acres on 4,330 holdings. This response is disappointing. The acreage covered is not large having regard to the length of time the scheme has been in operation, the total area of agricultural land in the country and the great need for fertilisers. We have taken account of the farmer's point of view by amending the scheme so that he can now take on the work by instalments.
As regards education, research and advisory work, the following developments may be mentioned. During the last financial year the process of the handing over of veterinary education to the Universities, in accordance with arrangements approved by the two Universities, the Veterinary Council of Ireland and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in London was completed. Under these agreed arrangements, the Universities appoint the teaching staffs, and my Department administers the Veterinary College and appoints the non-teaching staff there. Both Universities utilise the Veterinary College for the training of their students, in accordance with arrangements agreed between the parties concerned. It is because of these arrangements that a decrease is shown in the provision under Subhead F. 3 for the Veterinary College. This decrease is more than counterbalanced by the grants to the two Universities under Subheads F. 4 and F. 5 in respect of veterinary education.
A sum of £400,000 is being provided in the Estimate for An Foras Talúntais. Grange Farm, the Peatland Experimental Station at Glenamoy, the peatland experimental centres at Derrybrennan and Clonsast, and Johnstown Castle Agricultural College have been transferred to the Institute from my Department. The Institute is engaging in an extensive programme of research which I hope will throw light on many of the problems which confront our agriculture.
During the past year the advisory services have been strengthened, the number of Agricultural Instructors actually employed at 31st March last having increased to 212 as compared with 194 a year earlier and I understand that further posts for which there are vacancies are in the process of being filled. I am glad to know that Committees of Agriculture are generally showing a progressive outlook towards educational matters and I look forward to an additional increase in the force of instructors in the year that lies ahead.
A new scheme of winter farm schools was introduced during the past year after consultations between my Department and the Department of Education. Under this scheme committees of agriculture and vocational education committees pool their resources in teaching personnel, accommodation and equipment so as to provide a comprehensive educational course to fit young people for life on the land. While the courses are varied to suit local needs and conditions they generally include agriculture and horticulture as well as instruction in a variety of other matters such as building construction, economics, account keeping and social affairs. I am glad to be able to say that the new scheme has got off to a good start, 37 schools having been conducted in the first year with a total attendance of over 800 and generally the students are reported to have displayed very keen interest in the subjects taught. I am hopeful that committees of agriculture and vocational education committees will continue to co-operate in this way and that the scheme will be considerably extended in the future.
The winter farm schools are intended primarily to cater for young people who live at home and who do not find it possible to attend one of the residential agricultural colleges. As the House is aware, the residential colleges provide a very fine blend of practical and theoretical education for those who have to make a living on the land and it is in the national interest that they should be fully utilised. I am happy to be able to say that many improvements have been carried out in the agricultural colleges in recent years and generally there is a keen demand for admission to these institutions.
There is one further matter which does not arise directly on the Estimate but which I should like to mention for the information of Deputies and of the public generally. The Food and Agriculture Organisation's world-wide Freedom-from-Hunger Campaign was launched on 1st July. The campaign, which will be carried on over a period of five years, is designed to deal with a situation which may be summarised as follows:
A large part of the world's population still does not have enough to eat, and an even larger part does not get enough of the right kinds of food.
The increase in food production only barely exceeds population growth.
The increase in food production per capita is least marked in the less developed parts of the world.
Food production in developed countries is being held back by limited marketing possibilities abroad.
The campaign is planned on the basis of world-wide concerted action with the Food and Agriculture Organisation acting as co-ordinator. It will be financed from a Campaign Trust Fund which will be fed by voluntary contributions from Governments, international non-governmental organisations, religious groups, private organisations and individuals. An urgent appeal has been made by the Director-General of FAO for support for the campaign and for funds urgently needed to get it under way. The Government have decided that we should lend every possible support to the campaign and that in token of such support we should make an official contribution of $10,000, that is about £3,570, to the Campaign Trust Fund. Because of the urgent need for funds in the early stages of the campaign the contribution is being paid immediately and the covering authority of the Dáil will be sought by way of Supplementary Estimate later in the year.
