asked the Taoiseach if he will state the cost of production at present of creamery butter per cwt.; the amount required to meet the present ration for a one-year period; the amount of creamery butter being sold off the ration per month; the amount of butter exported from 1st January, 1950, to 1st November, 1950; the country or countries to which it was exported and the price per cwt. received; the amount of butter in cold storage on the 31st of October, 1950, and the corresponding figure for 31st October, 1949.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Butter Statistics.
As regards the cost per cwt. of production at present of creamery butter, particulars are not available. As bearing on the subject I may mention that in 1948, the latest year for which particulars are available, the percentage distribution of the gross output of establishments producing butter, cheese, condensed milk and margarine was:—
|
% |
|
|
Cost of materials, fuel containers, etc. |
90.2 |
|
Salaries |
1.8 |
|
Wages and earnings |
3.0 |
|
Certain supplementary costs |
1.9 |
|
Residue |
3.1 |
The amount of creamery butter required to meet the ration for a one-year period is estimated at 33,500 tons.
During the five months ended 31st October, 1950, since the arrangement for the sale of unrationed creamery butter came into operation, the number of special wrappers issued to creameries for this purpose represented approximately 35,000 cwt. of butter, but all the wrappers issued have probably not yet been used by the many creameries concerned. Particulars are not available as to the quantity of unrationed creamery butter actually sold in any one month.
A total quantity of 37,620 cwt. of butter was exported in the ten months' period January-October, 1950, to the following countries at the following average prices:—
|
Cwt. |
Per cwt. (f.o.b.) |
|||
|
£ |
s. |
d. |
||
|
Great Britain |
810 |
13 |
5 |
2 |
|
Germany, Western |
30,344 |
18 |
0 |
3 |
|
Malta |
2,145 |
15 |
0 |
1 |
|
Morocco |
20 |
17 |
4 |
0 |
|
British West Indies |
4,301 |
11 |
15 |
8 |
The quantities of butter held in public cold stores on 31st October, 1950 and 1949 were respectively: 188,756 and 202,526 cwt. Stocks of butter held on those dates at creameries (where the bulk of it would be in cold storage) amounted to 41,189 and 48,495 cwt., respectively. In addition there were on the same dates 9,016 and 8,280 cwt., respectively, of butter held at the premises of principal merchants and butter factories, but no information is available as to the proportion thereof that may have been in cold storage.