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

1946 Elizabeth Bobbett: Letter to the Model Farmer and Stock-Breeder, February 1946

Miss Bobbett’s Home Truths for Dairy Expert

Sir. In the Irish Independent on January 23, 1946, under the heading, “Dairying Expert’s Criticism of Farmers”, Professor John Lyons, Professor of Dairy Technology, University College, Cork, in an address to Cork Rotary Club is reported as stating: “The farmers of this country compared with other countries had generally a poor knowledge of dairy farming and of the breeding and care of dairy cattle, and until they were prepared to admit this and sought enlightenment there was not much hope for the future of the industry. The fact that Irish cows were on the average very poor milkers was, he said, due to the lack of interest shown by the great majority of farmers in the milking qualities of their cows.” As example of the ignorance and incompetence of our farmers, he refers to the decline in our butter production since 1929. He said that both farm and creamery production had declined by 200,000 cwt annually since that year.

Now, let us get down to hard facts, not farming on paper, as is evidently the method that the Professor is expert at, and perhaps we can see the reasons for such decline, not all due to the ignorance of our farmers. We all know the criticism hurled at farmers for not joining Cow Testing Associations and feeding up their cows to give a high milk yield. We farmers must always keep before us the fact that it is from the price we receive for our produce that we must try and meet our expenditure, and until the price for milk sold to creameries is made remunerative, taking into account all costs of production including labour, there can be no great prospects for expansion in butter production.

For example, I was invited to attend the Irish Dairy Shorthorn Breeders (IDSB) Annual Congress at Mallow a few years ago, and the Rev. President (who was unable to be present) in his letter to Congress stated that as long as it cost £55 to produce £50 worth of milk it was useless to expect farmers to support Cow-Testing Associations. Now, in taking the years 1929 and following years, the Professor, while branding our farmers as ignorant and careless, seems to forget that in 1932 we farmers were called upon to fight an Economic War. We were the only section asked to bear the burden. (Remember also that in that war there were political issues as well as financial issues that may have been the means of Eire’s neutrality). The losses to Eire’s farmers through the Economic War may safely be estimated at approximately £300,000,000. Our farmers at the beginning of the Emergency in September, 1939, were very low in capital, equipment, or credit, and got no help with either, still we kept the rest of the population, including the Professor, from starvation.

It was only a week ago I was speaking to a neighbouring farmer regarding the fear of slump prices, and he said it was only a few years back, during the Economic War, since he was selling his fresh milk at 4d per gallon (60 gallons for £1) and driving it four miles to meet a lorry. It would pay well to feed cows to 1,200 gallons at that price! Labour, both hired and family labour, has been enticed off the land by better standards of living and high wages. If we are to build up our agriculture it must be done by raising the standard of living for all engaged on the land, and by security in prices over a long period. We know there can be much improvement in dairying by more scientific feeding, but we must have the inducement to make it worth while.