Edition Bobbett1. Texts by Elizabeth F. Bobbett: 1.1.3. Correspondence, Letters to newspapers

1942 Elizabeth Bobbett: Letter to the Irish Farmers’ Paper, May 1942

Wheat fed to pigs. Unmillable Wheat Question1

Sir. Dr. James Ryan is reported as stating in the Dail on 15th April, 1942: “It was found that some people were feeding wheat to pigs and the prices for pigs were reduced, and that in 16 out of 33 factories at one time wheat was found in slaughtered pigs.”

Now at the present time much misrepresentation is occurring about farmers and wheat, and in case any person would get the impression that the farmers were unscrupulous wretches who would not hesitate to waste human food, I think it is only fair to ask Dr. Ryan: Was there any wheat grown in 1941 which was considered unmillable? And if so, what was the farmer to do with it? Also it would be interesting to hear how many acres of wheat were returned as unmillable and how many acres of wheat were sown in 1941 that had to be ploughed up as they were a complete failure.

Regarding unmillable wheat, I know of a case where a farmer was overanxious during the first fine week of harvest last year to get his wheat cut and threshed as soon as possible, and he cut the wheat and drew it into a rick within three days of cutting. It heated and he had it threshed within the week and sent to the merchant, but the harm was done and no treatment could restore the grain as it was unmillable. All he got for the wheat for 26s 0d per barrel. Surely this was good for pig feeding?

With regard to the scarcity of bacon and butter which the public are feeling at present. Did not the Minister for Agriculture last January (in his inaugural address to University College, Cork, Dairy Science Society) sound the death knell of those two industries? In comparing the butter yield of 1941 with the exceptionally long drought in 1940 and expressing his disappointment that the 1941 yield was not increased, Dr. Ryan must have a short memory or he would have referred to the dreadful plague of foot-and-mouth disease which ravaged the country during 1941 and the slaughter of such a large number of cows particularly in the Dublin area which affected the milk production in the vicinity of the city, with the consequent purchasing of very much larger supplies of creamery milk for consumption in the city. Of course, if the totally uneconomic price paid to the farmer for milk by the creameries continues, the farmer will be compelled to sell off his cows and the country can go without butter.

It seems that money can be provided to procure guns, aeroplanes, etc., for defence, but no money to secure our food supplies in the home country, which is the only secure investment before the nation.

1 - The same letter was published in the Standard, 03.07.1942.