On the motion for the adjournment, I desire to bring before the Seanad the question of the regulations recently made by the Minister for Agriculture in the Butter Exporting Examination Order, 1931. This Order relates to the export of all kinds of butter—farmers' butter as well as creamery. My observations will have reference only to the export of farmers' butter. It was only very recently that this regulation was laid on the Table. I think it was at our last meeting that it first appeared on the Table. I do not know whether or not the Dáil has had an opportunity of considering it. According to the Dairy Produce Act, the Minister is entitled to make those regulations. The only authority the Dáil and the Seanad have is that they can, within a certain period, pass a resolution annulling the Order if they find it is working harshly on the people concerned. It is proposed that this Order come into force on 1st August, which is next Saturday. In consequence of the urgency of the matter, I ask leave of the Cathaoirleach to bring the question forward now.
Already the effects of this Order are being felt in the country. I have had a number of communications from home butter-makers in different parts of the country to the effect that the purchase of their produce has ceased and that the merchants are not prepared to buy from them in consequence of the restrictions imposed by this Order. I have got a telegram from Adrigole, a rural district in County Cork, on the borders of Kerry. The telegram says: "Our butter being refused because of export restrictions. Do something for us, as it will mean bankruptcy for poor farmers." That telegram is signed by the Rev. Fr. O'Sullivan, P.P.; John O'Shea, D. Sullivan and J. Downey. Similar communications have come from Caherciveen, Dingle and Kilrush, County Clare. What I ask the Minister to do is to give these farmers more time to consider how they will meet this Order, and perhaps, after consultation with the Minister, he will be able to work out some plan by which the exportation examination will be carried out without serious injury to the farmers who are making home butter. The quality of home butter made in this country is quite equal to that of creamery. The quantity, I believe, of the two is about the same.
There are districts where it is impossible to establish creameries. In many cases farmers, even if they had creameries at their doors, would prefer to make butter on their own farm premises simply for the reason that they can rear better calves with the fresh separated milk than with the milk that would come back to them from the creamery. If there is one department of the farmers' business which pays in some way at the present time, it is the rearing of good calves and the sale of them as yearlings. Many farmers are afraid that it is the policy of the Government to wipe out home dairying altogether, and that the Government is out for compelling all farmers to establish creameries in their districts and to send all their milk to those establishments. I think it is very wrong to interfere with the discretion of the farmer as to how he will carry on his business. Those farmers who make home butter are not subsidised in any way by the Government. They ask to be let alone, to sell their butter in the best market, and to sell it only on its merits. They do not receive a brand or a Government guarantee such as is given in the case of creamery butter.
The restrictions in the Order provide that the quality of the home-made butter shall be within four points of the quality of the best creamery butter. I think that is a very drastic regulation, because we all know that, although many people like home-made butter, and prefer it to creamery butter, still it has not the general qualities or the general flavour of creamery butter. The manufacture of this butter has not been helped in any way. I believe it is almost impossible for a farmer to get help to buy even a hand separator. The whole idea seems to be to drive the manufacture of butter into the creamery, and I think that it is a great mistake. I think farmers ought to be allowed to select the method of carrying on their work and of making their butter.
There should be no compulsion on them to patronise creameries if they do not wish to do so. The Order has been made, and there will not be an opportunity of going into the matter fully until the Seanad and the Dáil meet again in October. I would ask the Minister that at least during that period, or until the 1st November next, he would not enforce this Order as far as it relates to farmers' butter and the butter that would be exported by butter factories, because the only purchasers the makers of farmers' butter have are the proprietors of butter factories who make up their butter and export it to Great Britain as well as to certain other parts of the world. Anything that will hamper them in the purchase of that butter will react on the farmer, because when they find an obstacle to the export of the butter they will naturally cease to purchase, or will purchase it at such a price as will not at all pay the farmer. I would be quite satisfied if the operation of the Order, so far as farmers' butter is concerned, was postponed until at least the 1st November, and so give the farmers of the country an opportunity perhaps of consulting with the butter merchants, and also with the Minister, to try and devise means that would carry out the object the Minister has in view of having a proper examination of butter and, at the same time, do no serious injury to the farmers who are producing it.
