asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the positive action he proposes to take to increase barley, other than malting barley, acreage in the coming year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Barley Production.
7.
While I am confident that the good returns received by feed barley producers this year will provide a strong incentive to them to increase the acreage next year, I would propose to intensify the publicity campaign launched last year and to seek the co-operation of the county committees of agriculture and the growers themselves.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not consider, particularly in the western areas where the stock is very poor this year, ensuring that this will never happen again by having from one up to five acres for tillage to try to balance the economy?
The Minister made several statements regarding the advisability of growing additional cereals, particularly barley, and the price obtaining for barley at present is £65 per ton. It is a remunerative price. Even at the time of harvesting the price of something more than £50 per ton was a relatively good one. Because of the price barley is fetching at the moment, I am satisfied we will have an increased acreage next year. The differential between the acreage last year and the acreage this year is not too great. I know that Deputy Callanan will do his utmost to popularise the growing of barley as a good crop for farmers so that they will be able to provide for their livestock.
I agree the price is reasonable, but the price for seed last year was approximately £100 per ton and the price of manure this year was nearly £100 per ton, so the profit would not be anything like what it should be.
The farmer must take all such factors into account and, having done so, it is then a matter for him to determine whether he will go ahead and grow a particular crop. From the statistics we believe barley is a profitable crop to grow at the moment having regard to the reasonably good price it is fetching, £65 per ton. Long ago we grew it for £20 per ton and money was more valuable then.