asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he is aware that in the Shannon areas of Offaly, Galway and Westmeath farmers have lost most of their hay, and that in the Wolfhill and Luggacurran areas of Laoighis there have been serious losses of hay, and a great shortage of animal food exists, and that harvest prospects have been worsened by the bad weather; and whether he will consider providing some measure of relief for areas where hardship can be established, for example, by arranging for financial assistance to be made available from Marshall Aid funds or some relief in their rates to be granted.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Relief for Farmers.
Mr. Maguire
asked the Minister for Agriculture whether, in view of the tragic conditions confronting many farmers in the country, particularly in the west and north-west, due to the inadequacy of feeding stuffs, principally hay for cattle, due to the bad harvest and the ruinous financial results which must accrue, he will state how he proposes to ameliorate this pending catastrophe.
With your permission, a Chinn Chomhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 61 together.
I am aware that in certain areas of the country the hay harvest has been very seriously damaged and in some cases substantially lost as a result of the adverse weather conditions.
Having myself lost all my hay as a result of a fire which destroyed my haggard, I can assure the Deputies that I fully sympathise with the difficulties experienced by farmers who have sustained a similar loss, but I suggest that serious as is the problem, it is not one which should assume the character of a national emergency, and the first essential is to warn farmers not to be moved to panic by statements that cattle are a drug upon the market on account of a prospective shortage of fodder.
This fairy-tale has been widely disseminated by interested persons who hope that as a result of such propaganda small farmers will be induced to sell their cattle without due reflection for much less than they are worth, thus enabling those who buy them at scrap prices to reap a rich harvest of profit. It is noteworthy that cattle prices have been advancing on the Dublin market for the last two weeks.
I think it well to state shortly the steps best calculated to relieve the problem of farmers who have lost most of their hay and who fear lest they will be short of fodder in the new year.
Many have already dug a pit and ensiled surplus grass and other green fodder. Having done this, they can collect carefully all the barley and oaten straw under cover and use it with ensilage (where possible), roots, potatoes, cabbage or other green crops throughout the winter and spring months. It would be advisable to boil and ensile as large a quantity of potatoes as are available and use these also when necessity arises. The oats and barley should be dried and kept to meet any necessity that may arise, and, inasmuch as our entire domestic output of bran and pollard is now available for retail sale to farmers at a very low price, they should use them, too, if necessary. Ample supplies of maize and maizemeal will be available. And, lastly, farmers can shorten the duration of the hungry months by setting aside a few acres of grassland on which they should now put out whatever lime may be required, together with six cwts. of high-grade superphosphate of lime and one or more cwts. of muriate of potash, and at the end of January, one cwt. or more of sulphate of ammonia, nitrate of soda or nitro-chalk, per statute acre, with a view to having grass in March, on to which the cattle can be turned for an hour or so each day, until the ordinary growth of grass provides grazing in the spring.
Undoubtedly, in certain areas, recourse will have to be had to methods of feeding not ordinarily employed, but I am satisfied that the farmers of this country can and will surmount this forage problem as they have overcome similar difficulties in the past.
I shall continue to keep this matter under review and will gladly give every assistance which may appear to be practical and necessary.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, in which he referred to his own personal loss of hay, can he tell us whether he had himself covered by insurance or not?
Amply, thanks be to God.
How are the small farmers in my constituency and in the Shannon areas of Roscommon, Galway and Westmeath going to be compensated for their serious loss of hay? Are they to get nothing for it.
Did I understand Deputy Flanagan to raise a question dealing with the problem of farmers being able to feed their live stock in the spring, of being able to tide themselves over the hungry months, or is this a question of the desirability of compensating every farmer in Ireland for the adverse weather conditions?
May I point out to the Chair that the Minister has turned his back on the Chair?
I have put down the question because of the fact that most of the hay crop has been lost in the areas to which I have referred, and in the areas to which Deputy Maguire's question refers. In view of that, what are the live stock going to eat now unless they eat themselves? Can the Minister tell us that?
Mr. Maguire
I consider that the Minister's reply, as far as it affects many of the farmers in my part of the country, is to the effect that when they are without hay to feed their cattle they will have to feed them on theory. They have no straw worth speaking of to fall back on. They have no means whatever to feed their cattle during the winter and spring. It is no use telling them that they can feed them on feeding stuffs. The Minister says there are substitutes, but these substitutes are not available to these farmers.
If the Deputy has finished his speech, he should ask a question.
Mr. Maguire
If I cannot raise the matter now, then I wish to give notice that I shall raise it on the Adjournment.
In my reply, I have suggested that some substitutes for the hay which has been lost can be found, and that any help the Government can give to facilitate any group of farmers, large or small, to procure these for themselves for feeding their own cattle, substitutes in whatever form are most convenient and acceptable to them, will be forthcoming.
Mr. Maguire
Something drastic will have to be done in the form of killing off a certain number of young cattle.
The Deputy is quite mistaken about that.
Mr. Maguire
Those who have cattle fit to export are exporting them, but in the case of young stores there is no market for them, and that is a very serious matter for small farmers in the West.
The Deputy is quite mistaken. The prices for young cattle are getting stronger every day.
Mr. Maguire
There is no market for young cattle, for those from six to 12 months old.
The Deputy is quite mistaken about that.
Mr. Maguire
The fairs are filled with cattle from six to 12 months old, and there is no market for them.
The price for yearling cattle will continue to strengthen. It has strengthened in the last few days.
Mr. Maguire
The Minister's reply shows to me clearly that he is not aware of the circumstances of the farmers in the West of Ireland. I am speaking of young cattle, six, eight and nine months old, and I say there is no market for them. Cows in calf are being slaughtered and exported.
I stood in a fair with a beast and was offered £5 more for it last Tuesday than was offered to me four weeks ago in Ballaghaderreen.
Would the Minister say, for the information of the House and the country, who and what are the interests at present engaged in a campaign advising the farmers to market their small stock at ruinous prices? Does the Minister realise how advantageous it would be to everybody to know what these interests are or who they are?
Tanglers.
Does the Minister not know that he is talking sheer, stupid nonsense?
I am talking about tanglers.
It is the Macklin men you are talking about.
The remaining questions will appear on to-morrow's Order Paper.
Mr. Maguire
I desire to give notice that I intend to raise this matter on the Adjournment, with your permission.
The Deputy may not raise it now as well as on the Adjournment. I shall consider the matter.
Mr. Maguire
I hope you will be able to fix a day for it.