asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he has now any figures for sowings of wheat, oats and barley this spring.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Grain Sowings.
5.
Particulars of seed sales are in course of being assembled. If the Deputy would repeat his question in about a fortnight, I would hope to be in a position to give him a reasonably accurate estimate of sowings.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that certain industrial groups produced estimates as far back as ten days ago and that the sowing season is over? Surely there should be some estimate available so that we can look at the position with a view to next harvest? This is the sort of thing that goes on every year.
With due deference to the Deputy, he is interested in the seed trade and will appreciate the difficulty of compiling accurate estimates within ten days.
With respect, I know that the information has been with the Minister's Department for the last fortnight or three weeks, since the sowing season ended.
That is not so.