asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the approximate acreage of wheat sown this year; and how it compares with last year's acreage.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wheat Acreage.
11.
A preliminary estimate, based on seed sales, indicates that the wheat acreage this year may be about ten per cent less than last year's acreage of 223,600 acres.
Could the Minister give us any indication as to why the acreage of wheat has declined?
Perhaps the increase in the price of barley may have had a little to do with it. It may well be, too, that the early spring weather was not just very conducive to planting and there may, perhaps, be other reasons.
Would the Minister not consider that the campaign launched by various journals to deter farmers from growing an additional acreage of wheat has been successful and the Minister should take steps now to reprimand those particular journals?
No better man. The Deputy wants to start another war, does he?
There will not be the same amount of haulage this year.
Let us be charitable and say they did not seem to be of any great help this year, which is something one would expect.
Which is something they are entitled to do.