asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he is aware that supplies of pigs to bacon factories have increased by over 75 per cent. as compared with 1943 during the last month and that despite this the Pigs and Bacon Commission have reduced the quota of bacon for merchants, and whether he will make a special representation to the commission to reexamine bacon quotas and revise them upwards.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Bacon Quotas.
I am aware that supplies of pigs to bacon factories have shown an increase in recent weeks, but not to the extent mentioned in the Deputy's question. An increased bacon-sales allocation for the current month was announced by the Pigs and Bacon Commission on the 30th October.
Is the Minister of opinion that the increase announced by the commission will be sufficient to absorb the quantity of bacon in the factories?
I think so, because there was a very slight carry-over at the end of recent months. In fact, the complaint was made that the carry-over was too small. In other words, there was a temptation on the part of factories to sell bacon too green.
Would the Minister consider giving factories a discretion of, say, 10 per cent. on the quota that they have been directed to distribute in cases where individual factories appear to have excessive stocks?
I think that any factory that makes a case gets every consideration from the commission.