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

1946 Elizabeth Bobbett: Letter to the Irish Times, 02.04.1946

The Food Conference

Sir. For several years past the members of the Irish Farmers' Federation have been pressing the necessity for better prices for Irish fat cattle purchased by the British. Our farmers should at least get the same prices as are paid to Northern Ireland farmers. At present the English subsidy on fat cattle is equivalent to a tax of 10/- per cwt on Irish fat cattle, and better prices must be forthcoming for winter beef cattle if the fertility of our land is to be maintained. This is a matter of national importance. To the ordinary farmer this penalisation of price by the British Government for Eire's fat cattle seems very short-sighted when their country is so short of essential foods.

As is well known, a very large number of our store cattle which are going across have only to be kept for two months to qualify the English feeder for a subsidy. If these cattle were being purchased at the same prices as Northern Irish cattle, our farmers would finish them off, and the English farmers would have saved two months' feeding which could have been devoted to increase in their home supplies of milk, eggs, or pigs. Yours, etc., Elisabeth F. Bobbett, General Secretary, Irish Farmers' Federation.