asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries whether, in view of the desirability of fixing the price of farm products on the costs of production, he will set up an agricultural costings bureau on which farmers, agricultural workers and his Department will be represented and which will investigate production costs on farms of varied types and sizes.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Agricultural Costings Bureau.
66.
Variation in production costs is only one of the factors which must be taken into account in determining the level of agricultural prices and, having regard also to the difficulties inherent in establishing reliable and representative costings for any particular product, I do not feel that the setting up of a costings bureau as suggested by the Deputy would be warranted.
Surely the Minister knows that the reason for the very serious reduction in cereals in recent years is the fact that we are not paying a price for them? Further, is the Minister aware that the same price is being paid for barley at present as was paid 20 years ago, while the cost of production has increased substantially?
The price was increased by 5/- last year and wheat by 10/- this year.
It is still only 5/-a barrel dearer than it was 11 years ago. The Minister knows there has been a reduction of 100,000 acres in the production of wheat and of 200,000 acres in the production of oats——
I do not think the Deputy has thought this matter out sufficiently because he would be doing the farmers and myself, as Minister for Agriculture, a disservice if he were to try to insist that all prices of agricultural products be governed solely by costs of production.