asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he is satisfied that there is sufficient seed wheat of good quality in the country to meet the requirements for this year's sowings.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Supplies of Seed Wheat.
43.
Substantial stocks of seed wheat are available. I am hopeful that the increase in price of 10/- a barrel which I have announced will result in an increased wheat acreage this year and I would urge farmers to place their orders with their usual suppliers without delay.
Does the Minister consider it unnecessary that any seed wheat should be imported this year?
If we have to import it, we will import it, and I would be very happy if we arrived at a situation where there was such an expansion in the wheat acreage that it was necessary to import wheat seed.
Will the Minister not agree that, owing to the very wet season last year, it may not be possible to get seed wheat of sufficiently high standard and in such circumstances, it might be necessary to import it? If applications are made to him for that purpose, will he consider them?
No farmer who wants seed wheat will go without it.
Surely the Minister has not got something in his brief with which he is not conversant? He knows that licences for seed wheat have already been issued. He is at present investigating the situation with a view to making a second issue.
That is what I said.
The Minister said the exact opposite.
The Minister for fish and chips.