asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will ensure that adequate arrangements will be made in advance to take in this year's wheat crop in view of the increased acreage.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wheat Crop.
9.
Discussions with the interests concerned have been taking place throughout the year regarding intake and drying facilities for wheat next harvest. I am satisfied that all possible steps are being taken to ensure that intake will be completed smoothly.
Could the Minister state if there are any extra facilities this year as compared with last year? He will, no doubt, appreciate that the crop has considerably increased this year as against last year.
As far as we understand at the moment—this is subject to final evaluation—the increase will be in the order of 18 or 19 per cent. This could possibly throw up on the basis of last year's yield anything up to 50,000 additional tons of wheat. As against that, the number of drying points that will be open, according to our present arrangements, will be 93 as against 58 at the start of last season. The drying capacity will, therefore, be increased by about 407 tons, I think it is, per hour and I feel that this, added to the fact that an additional 54,000 tons storage capacity has been provided as against last year, enables us to approach the coming greater wheat harvest with a fairly good prospect that it will be handled in a fairly smooth manner.
Could the Minister indicate if he is hopeful that this extra storage and these drying facilities will be available in time because, and I say this in no spirit of criticism but as a matter of fact, it does seem difficult to foresee how they can all be ready by 1st September? It takes time to build and time to instal machinery.
I am quite well aware of that, but I think the Deputy and the House are probably aware that we started last season with 58 drying points open but later quite a number of extra drying points were brought into operation. At the moment there are additional drying points in existence and these, added to what were in use last year, will bring the total number of drying points to 93.