asked the Minister for Agriculture the present percentage content of home-grown wheat in (a) baker's flour and (b) household flour; and if in view of the bad harvest this year it is proposed to reduce these amounts, and, if so, to what figures.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Baker's and Household Flour: Home-Grown Wheat Content.
40.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 38, 39 and 40 together. Under the National Percentage Order made annually, millers are required to mill a stated percentage of their milling quotas in the form of native wheat. The current Order fixes the percentage at 75, but as there is some uncertainty about the quality of the wheat of this year's harvest this percentage is open to amendment. Until the position is clarified it is not possible to indicate at this stage either the quantity which will eventually be used for milling into flour for human consumption or the quantity which will be disposed of for animal feeding.
When will the Minister have the information at his disposal?
I have not an idea because the intake of wheat drags on for quit a long time.
Will the Minister say if there is any change in the percentage of homegrown wheat? Will it mean a reduction in the price of flour?
I have not any information to answer any such question.
It should, of course——
Not necessarily.
——seeing that we are to use cheaper wheat for bread.
We have not done so yet.