asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will explain, in view of his recent statement to the Press in which he urged farmers to increase the acreage of oats, barley and potatoes, why no appeal was made for an increase in the acreage of sugar beet and wheat.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sugar Beet and Wheat Acreage.
Wheat and beet are remunerative cash crops and farmers are themselves the best judges of the quantities of such crops that they may profitably produce. Feeding barley, oats, potatoes and silage are crops primarily for conversion into live stock and live-stock products on the farmer's own farm, an alternative for which has been heretofore readily obtainable in the shape of purchased feeding-stuffs. This alternative source of supply is no longer certain and it is urgently necessary to provide against absolute shortage.
Is the Minister aware that, a few weeks after he had made an appeal to farmers to grow more oats, barley and potatoes, but had made no appeal for an increased acreage of beet or wheat, the Irish Sugar Company had to issue an appeal to farmers to grow an additional 10,000 acres of beet and had to offer an additional price? Surely, the Minister must admit that he made a serious omission in not referring to an increased acreage for sugar beet, and, if he made a mistake with regard to sugar beet, is it not open to us to suspect, at least, that he may have made a greater mistake in regard to wheat?
This is a free country, and the Deputy may believe what he likes.
Up the Republic!
In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's reply——
What is unsatisfactory about it? This is a free country, thanks be to God. You can do what you like; you can become a general galloper if you want to.