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

1947 Elizabeth Bobbett: Letter to the Irish Independent, 22.05.1947

Our Readers Are Writing. Milk And Butter

Sir. Our farmers are often blamed for not keeping higher yielding cows and not feeding them well as an excuse to cover up the two-ounce butter ration. Quite recently we have had published some official figures of production of powdered milk which was produced and exported, but we have not seen the figures of what quantity of condensed milk was manufactured and how much exported. 31,680 cwts of powdered milk, equal to 11,300 cwts of butter, were produced in 1946, of which 21,176 cwts powdered milk, were exported.

In 1939, the peak year for the production of butter, we produced 718,279 cwts, of which 223,501 cwts were exported, leaving 494,778 cwts for home consumption. In 1946 we produced 551,601 cwts butter, and, except for 20,000 cwts sent to relieve distress in Europe, none was exported, leaving us a surplus over the 1939 home consumption figure of 36,823 more cwts for the home market. Where did it go? Will the Minister tell us how much of the milk supplied to creameries in 1946 was used as follows: 1) In the manufacture of butter; 2) In the manufacture of powdered milk; 3) In the manufacture of condensed milk; 4) In the manufacture of cheese; and 5) Supplied to Dublin wholesalers for consumption. And what was the relative profit to the creameries on, say, 1,000 gallons milk so disposed of under each of the five classes as stated.

The remedy to sufficient butter is to pay the producers of milk supplying cities and towns an economic price for their milk and also pay an economic price to farmers supplying milk to the creameries that will cover their production costs which includes labour.

If butter cannot be produced and sold retail at a price within the capacity of the general public to pay, we ask the Minister for Agriculture to consult with the Minister for Finance and have a compensated price paid to retailers to sell butter at an economic price. Such money necessary can be provided by making an issue of National Credit interest-free, the security for which would be the increased production of butter and livestock which would result.

While we welcome the increase in price announced for milk supplied to creameries we fully understand that under the present financial control our Government has only two ways of getting money, viz., by taxation and by borrowing at interest, neither very helpful to the community. While if the Government had the power to authorise the issue of the necessary credit to meet the needed subsidy on the production of butter, it could be interest-free. These food subsidies are often claimed as being given to help the farmer, it is more correct to say they are given to make food prices to the consumer reasonable.

Elizabeth F. Bobbett, General Secretary, Irish Farmers' Federation, Wicklow.