asked the Minister for Supplies if he is aware that many persons have largely increased their fruit crops and that these supplies will go to waste if the growers are unable to utilise them in making jam; and, if so, if he will state if any allowance of sugar for jam making will be made to people who have grown their own fruit.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sugar for Jam Making.
I have no information as to the extent to which individual growers of fruit may have increased their crops this year. Adequate supplies of sugar were made available to jam manufacturers during last season to enable them to take up the maximum amount of fruit possible from producers and I hope to be able to make reasonable supplies available to them again this year. It is not proposed to make any special allowance of sugar available to fruit growers for domestic jam making.
I am not referring to jam manufacturers. I am referring to those people who grow fruit to a small extent. The farmer who produces sugar beet gets paid for the sugar beet and gets an allowance of sugar. The person who grows fruit has his fruit stolen and gets no allowance of sugar for jam making. Is it any wonder, then, that the fruit supply is about one quarter of what it ought to be?