asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will take steps to increase the prices of all tillage so that the farmers may share in increases which have benefited every other section of the community.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Prices of Tillage Crops.
147.
Increased prices are payable this year for the main tillage crops, namely, wheat, feeding and malting barley and sugar beet.
The Government's decision regarding next year's prices for wheat and feeding barley will be announced in due course. As the Deputy is aware, the price of malting barley is negotiated each year between the processors and the growers while the sugarbeet price is a matter for Comhlucht Siúicre Éireann, Teoranta.
Surely the Minister realises there is a considerable reduction in the amounts of wheat, oats, barley and beet that have been sown. If farmers are getting out of tillage and refusing to sow these crops there must be a reason for it. Does the Minister not think the real reason is they are not being paid for sowing them and, in order to encourage an increase in the production of wheat, oats, barley and beet, would he not consider increasing the prices and announcing them in advance of next spring?
There are many aspects involved here. First of all, it is hardly fair to talk about the decline in the acreage of feeding barley; indeed the acreage was going up satisfactorily every year until this year. There is a slight recession this year of 7,000 acres, an acreage of 329,000 last year as against 322,000 acres this year. I would not regard that as necessarily indicating a trend out of feeding barley. I would hope that next year the acreage would resume the upward trend. The Deputy knows full well that last year we gave an increase in the price of feeding barley of 5/- and that was a reasonable increase at that time. We also increased the price of wheat by 3/- and introduced a new system of marketing, a new system of millability which we feel has been accepted by the farmers as reasonable and fair. It is difficult to see what else can be done to encourage the growing of these two crops, wheat and barley. Anybody in this business, whether he is a farmer or not, will agree that you just cannot keep on increasing the prices of these indefinitely. There is a point beyond which it is not feasible or desirable from any point of view to increase grain prices. Further, in the case of feeding barley, it must be remembered that there is a conflict of interests between the grower and the pig producer.
The question of the acreage of sugar beet is a matter for the Sugar Company. I understand they are hoping to increase the acreage this year and I will give them every encouragement to do that. The acreage of malting barley has increased this year as against the year before.
Does the Minister not think that in the case of wheat, oats, beet and barley the farmer being a good business man will if these crops are paying him well, continue to sow them?
It is not as simple as that. I wish it were.
The farmer does not mind what he gets for them?
There are other complications and difficulties. One of the main reasons for the decline in the acreage of wheat in recent years was the fact that we had a series of bad or mediocre harvests. There was also, as we all know, dissatisfaction with the system of marketing, with the determination of millability. There is nothing we can do about the harvest aspect but we have, as I say, straightened out this marketing problem. This year while there was a lot of unmillable wheat because of the weather I think there was general recognition that the system introduced worked fairly and when we have experience of its working we can see whether any change should be effected for the next year.
Would the Minister say——
I have already allowed four supplementaries on this question. There are still 70 questions to be answered. I am asking the Minister to reply to question No. 148.
You will agree it is a very important question?