asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that the maltsters extended the moisture assessment in malting barley from 21 per cent. to 24 per cent. to allow the farmers to obtain the fixed price at this higher moisture rate on account of the exceptionally wet season and, if he will fix the prices for feeding barley accordingly.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Prices of Feeding Barley.
74.
I understand that the normal upper moisture limit for malting barley bought under contract has been extended this season. No upper moisture limit applies in the case of feeding barley and it is not proposed to alter the prices at which the crop was bought.
Could the Minister say why?
For the reason I have given, that there is no upper limit in the case of feeding barley.
Surely when Guinness, or those responsible for malting barley, were prepared to give this concession in the wet season, there is no reason why the Government should not do the same.
There is a limit in regard to malting barley; there is no limit in regard to feeding barley.
The only limit is that the price of feeding barley falls instead of rising.
That is different. I have said that, while Guinness have raised the figure in regard to malting barley from 23 to 25, there is no limit of any kind in regard to feeding barley.
Can the Minister say if, in raising the moisture limit from 21 to 24 in respect of malting barley, there was any corresponding reduction in the contract price for malting barley?
I cannot tell the Deputy.
I suggest there was not. While there was no ceiling on the moisture content of feeding barley, the guaranteed price payable for feeding barley was related to the moisture content, and there was no corresponding relaxation of the moisture content level in respect of feeding barley.
It was a movement of only two per cent.—23 per cent. to 25 per cent.
Twenty-one per cent. to 24 per cent.
Twenty-three per cent. to 25 per cent.
Twenty-one per cent. to 25 per cent.
That is not right. The Deputy's figure is not accurate.
It was 21 per cent. for feeding and malting barley and Guinness raised it to 24 per cent. for malting barley.
I am not talking about malting barley. The figure was raised from 23 per cent. to 25 per cent. in the case of malting barley. If the moisture content of feeding barley is under 20 per cent., there is an increase in price and, if it is over 20 per cent., there is a reduction; but there is no limit.
Would the Minister agree that if there was, in fact, a relaxation of three points in the top level of moisture content for feeding barley, there ought to be the same relaxation of the price reductions applicable in the guaranteed price for feeding barley, if the moisture content exceeds 21 per cent.?
I will not agree that there is any comparison between the two. There is a ceiling in one case and, in the other, there is none.
In both cases, it is a question of the price coming down.
Except when the Deputy tried it.