asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state the average percentage of moisture which millers were allowed for Irish and imported wheat respectively in each of the years 1946 to 1955, inclusive.
Written Answers. - Moisture Content of Wheat.
Wheat is milled at an average moisture content of 16 per cent. to 16½ per cent.
Irish wheat when purchased by the miller from the farmer contains in a normal year a moisture content of 21.5 per cent. approximately. The wheat has therefore to be dried down to a condition suitable for milling into flour and this entails a loss in weight of 7 per cent. to 9 per cent. on average.
The average percentage of moisture loss in native wheat for the years 1945-46 to 1953-54 is as follows:—
|
Cereal Year |
% Moisture Loss |
|
1945/46 |
7.65 |
|
1946/47 |
11.1 |
|
1947/48 |
8.1 |
|
1948/49 |
8.2 |
|
1949/50 |
6.84 |
|
1950/51 |
9.16 |
|
1951/52 |
10.7 |
|
1952/53 |
8.1 |
|
1953/54 |
9.6 |
Figures for 1954-55 have not yet been received from the millers.
The average moisture content of imported wheat ranges from 11 per cent to 14 per cent. and as wheat is milled at a moisture content of 16.5 per cent. moisture had to added to imported wheat to bring it up to this figure.