asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries (a) the price paid for imported milling wheat for flour from January to December, 1967 and 1968 respectively, (b) the quantity of this wheat imported in 1967 and 1968 respectively, (c) the quantity of wheat imported instead of milo from January to December in 1967 and 1968 respectively, (d) the price FOB of this wheat per barrel and (e) the price paid to farmers for inferior or unmillable wheat delivered to the mills in 1967 and 1968.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wheat Imports.
The reply is in the form of a tabular statement, which, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
1967 |
1968 |
|||||
£ |
s. |
d. |
£ |
s. |
d. |
|
Price for imported millable wheat |
28 |
4 |
0 per ton, |
31 |
5 |
4 per ton |
c.i.f. |
(average) |
c.i.f. |
(average) |
|||
Quantities of milling wheat imported |
171,439 tons |
154,185 tons |
||||
Quantities of feed wheat imported |
22,899 tons |
99,078 tons |
||||
Quantities of milo imported |
109,402 tons |
55,432 tons |
||||
See Note (a) |
||||||
Price of imported feed wheat per barrel |
64/1d. |
56/7d. |
||||
See Note (b) |
||||||
Price paid to farmers for unmillable wheat (per barrel) See Note (c) |
54/- |
54/- |
||||
See Note (c) |
(a) Licences for the importation of feed wheat and milo are interchangeable.
(b) These are c.i.f. prices. F.O.B. prices would be approximately 3/- per barrel less, and are related to 16%—16½% moisture.
(c) This is the price for green wheat at 20% moisture. The in-store price for this wheat dried to 16% moisture would be about 62/3d. per barrel, to which storage and interest charges are added unless the wheat is used immediately.
What is the joke?
The Minister has not been a witness of the Deputy's sense of frustration.
I have not.