asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if his attention has been drawn to a report (details supplied) that foreign pollard is useless in pig feed and means a loss of £24 for every ton of pollard fed in the rations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Pig Feed.
12.
I have seen the reports referred to by the Deputy. I am at present considering the imports which will be required to supplement home produced grains and wheat offals to meet the requirements of our compound feeding stuffs manufacturers in the coming cereal year beginning on 1st September next. My decision on this matter will, of course, take into account, along with other relevant factors, all available information on the feeding value of imported pollard.
Is pollard at £24 a ton, or even at £20 a ton, not very bad value considering our wheat and barley surpluses?
The matter is under consideration and a decision will be taken shortly. Pollard may not be imported at all. If we can avoid doing so, that will be the position in the future.
I hope so. This question has been raised for the past five or six years and the same answer has been given every time. A big subsidy is paid on wheat and then it is sold afterwards for pig feeding. At the same time, we are importing pollard at £24 a ton and some of it is just like sawdust.