asked the Minister for Agriculture what is the present wholesale price of maize.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wholesale Price of Maize.
6.
I understand that the present wholesale price of maize varies from about £25 to £26 per ton ex-silo.
In view of the fact that the import of maize is confined to a small select group, does the Minister consider it reasonable that this group should be permitted whatever margin of profit they like on imported maize, seeing that all competition has been removed?
I find it very hard to understand what the Deputy is aiming at in these questions and supplementary questions. If I could be sure that he wanted free importation of maize, I would understand his point of view. I take it—I do not know if I am safe in doing so—that the Deputy does not want free importation of maize. Therefore, someone must have the responsibility of importing whatever quantity it is agreed should be imported. When that quantity is decided upon is it suggested that it should be distributed amongst all and sundry on a sort of quota basis? I am at a loss to know what the Deputy has in mind.
May I answer the Minister by saying that I am interested in seeing that the pig and poultry producers get their raw materials at competitive prices?
Does the responsibility of importing maize carry with it the advantage of selling it at whatever price the importers decide, seeing that there are only a limited number of importers? Has it that advantage?
Maize was always imported in this fashion.
No.
Maize was always imported by the people who have charge of its importation now.
Not at all. It was not.
You cannot have regard to the price of maize alone. You must have regard to the price at which the barley crop is taken over on 31st December each year. The price of maize must be in some way related to that price. When imported, maize is distributed amongst compounders, some of whom will use portion of it for compound poultry feeding and otherwise. There is no control over the price at which they sell.
Is the Minister satisfied that the profit put on imported maize is related to the cost of taking out the barley crop on 1st January, or what is left?
In an agreement of this nature, that is, an agreement to take up and handle the barley crop, you cannot take this single question out of the general picture of the cost of feeding stuffs in compound form and otherwise.
Is the Minister satisfied that no one in this State should decide the amount of profit this privileged group are allowed to put on feeding stuffs, the importation of which is restricted to them and to them only?
The only privilege they have is that they accept responsibility to take up the barley crop at a certain time and a certain price. Not only do they take on that responsibility but they have the further responsibility of having the price at which they will dispose of it to the user until the following summer determined for them. If you take the price of £23 5s. at 31st December, and see the scale of prices at which they must dispose of the barley until the following harvest, you will see that that aspect of the problem has to be considered too. I have said before that I am personally satisfied that this is the best arrangement that can be made. Of course, you will always meet the person who will say: "Why should I not have the opportunity of importing maize?" But to give them that opportunity of importing maize without accepting a much more costly responsibility——
Is it not a great privilege to have the monopoly of whatever maize is brought into this country and sold here?
The Minister knows the position which existed before that arrangement was reached. He is well and truly fit to compare the true positions. I have no doubt that with the experience we had prior to the making of this arrangement—which can be brought to an end any time— it will not be brought to an end so long as I am satisfied it is a better arrangement than any that preceded it and is the best arrangement I can think of.
Does the Minister agree that in view of the quantity of maize actually imported, this restricted body of importers are in fact getting a profit on this transaction of very nearly £750,000 per annum.
I do not agree with anything of the kind.
That is the additional value.
You cannot take the quantity of maize that is involved here —and it is roughly what we have committed ourselves to import on the basis of the agreements we have with the United States in relation to the importation of sugar——
174,000 tons.
You cannot take that 82,000 in an isolated way and say: "That should be sold at a certain price." That would be entirely unfair. It is all very well to say that from the point of view of the trader who would like to import maize, as I thought the Deputy was suggesting, freely.
Next Question.
It was 174,000—not 80,000 tons.
Next question. This is developing into a debate.