asked the Minister for Agriculture whether, in view of the grave scarcity and increased cost of fodder and concentrated feeding-stuffs and the increased cost of production of milk, and the fact that there is a remunerative market for butter on the Continent, he is now prepared to review the price of milk both for liquid consumption and for delivery to creameries with a view to increasing these prices.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Milk Prices.
I do not accept the claim that there is a grave scarcity of feeding stuffs nor do I agree with the other implications in the Deputy's question. As I indicated this week at Kilkenny, our farmers can produce an excellent feeding cereal, at substantially lower cost than they are now paying for imported feeding stuffs, which with grass ensilage and potatoes renders winter feeding independent of imported foodstuffs. If they do not do so and prefer to pay more for the imported article, they have only themselves to blame. Continental markets for butter are precarious and difficult and cannot be depended on to provide a remunerative outlet for our surplus production of butter at present milk prices to creameries.