asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the total quantity of cereals and other feedstuffs imported for the year ended 31st March, 1967, or the nearest available date; and what efforts are being made to produce more cereals and feedstuffs at home.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Import of Feeding Stuffs.
11.
During the year ended February, 1967, approximately 770,000 tons of unmilled and milled cereals, cereal preparations and feeding stuffs for animals were imported.
A guaranteed market is available at attractive prices for all wheat and barley produced. As regards oats, imports are restricted to provide a market for the home crop.
Would the Minister not ensure that the price of barley is made more attractive? Surely he knows that in 1948, Deputy Dillon, as Minister for Agriculture, fixed the price of barley at 48/- a barrel and now with the pound worth only half its then value, the price of barley is still the same?
The Deputy is making a speech.
Does the Minister realise that the price of barley is the same as it was 20 years ago, despite the fact that the pound is worth only 10/- now? How can he say that that is an attractive price for barley?
I am prepared to give information. I do not want to get mixed up in this sort of propaganda warfare.
Is the Minister aware that in certain areas there is grave danger of there not being sufficient intake facilities next year? If there is not sufficient accommodation available for farmers and their crop can be rejected, does the Minister not see that farmers will not grow increased quantities of grain? They did not grow it in years past. Is the Minister's Department doing anything about this possibility?
I will bring that to the attention of the Minister. I have no information that there is likely to be an inadequacy. I will certainly bring the Deputy's point to the attention of the Minister.
Is the Minister aware that with the change in money values the farmer is getting only one half the amount for his barley he was getting in 1948? How does the Minister think that this is an attractive price for barley?
The price of barley was increased 5/- the year before last. In the case of barley, yields are more important than price. Yields have improved considerably in recent years. When I was Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries there was a feeling that the price of feeding barley at 45/- was reasonably adequate.
Why do you give other sections of the community increases in wages? Why do you not ask them to work harder? Why one section and not the other?
In one year we increased the price of feeding barley by 5/- and the following year we increased the price of wheat by 10/- to try to procure increased acreages under both headings.
You reduced it; what about the value of the £1?
Question No. 12.