asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will make a statement in regard to the present wheat harvest; if the levy deducted will be paid to wheat growers in full; if so, when payment will be made; what wheat stocks are now available in the mills; and what amount of wheat purchased will be required for flour production.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wheat Harvest.
37.
The wheat harvest is nearing completion. The quantity of millable wheat already delivered from the 1969 harvest is in excess of 300,000 tons dried. As the milling requirement is 240,000 tons of dried wheat a levy will be necessary to meet the cost of disposal of the surplus. I hope to be in a position to announce the exact amount of the levy in the near future. Any balance due to growers out of the 15/- per barrel provisionally withheld pending determination of the rate of levy will be refunded as soon as possible after the announcement.
Are we safe in assuming the refund will take place before Christmas?
I think there is no doubt unless our computers, human or otherwise, break down.
Has the Minister taken into account the 15,000 tons of last year's wheat?
No, this year's crop only.
Is the Minister aware this wheat is lying in stores all over the country and there is considerable danger of infestation when wheat is stored so long? Does he intend to hand it over to Bord Gráin or do something else with it to get it moving?
This 15,000 tons is not the only wheat that is lying there. There is a carry through of 70,000 tons——
Yes, but a lot of that has been disposed of.
——as against the normal 50,000 tons which would be regarded as the milling requirements or safe milling margin. That was increased by 25,000 tons, and there was, over and above that, these other thousands of tons which did not emerge until later in the season, the overholding of supplies allegedly for feed and seed. We are keeping these quantities very much in mind because we wish to dispose of them in the best way we can, as early as we can and having regard to the fact that we now know that the past season has produced not only sufficient for milling purposes but indeed a substantial surplus.
The Minister intends to do something about this 15,000 tons quite soon?
Not necessarily quite soon, but we are not unaware not only of that 15,000 tons but indeed some quantity in addition to the 15,000.