Edition Bobbett1. Texts by Elizabeth F. Bobbett: 1.2.1. Published Texts, Articles in yearbooks and anthologies

1949 Elizabeth Bobbett: General Secretary’s Report for 1948

Source: Irish Farmers’ Federation, Irish Agriculture – The New Outlook, Yearbook 1949 p. 47-49

The year 1948 opened with the very unexpected news of an early General Election and the new Government taking over the reins of office on 18th February, 1948. Owing to the bustle and excitement of the General Election, our first meeting of our National Executive for the year was held on 2nd March. From which meeting we offered our congratulations to Mr. John A. Costello, An Taoiseach, and his Ministers who formed the new All-Party Government, as it seems the only natural result of Proportional Representation. In offering congratulations to Mr. James Dillon, our new Minister for Agriculture, we offered him (as we had done to former Ministers) our co-operation in increasing agricultural production and wished him success in his new office.

On 19th May we had our first interview with the Minister for Agriculture and placed before him many suggestions for the improvement in production in the various lines of agriculture, in which special recommendations were made to encourage and ensure a rapid increase in the production of pigs, eggs, poultry and sheep. The following items being of paramount importance. A minimum price for fat pigs of £10 a cwt dead weight. Eggs, 3s 0d a dozen in summer and 5s 0d a dozen from November to February inclusive; sheep, a subsidy on breeding ewes of the hill flocks and a better price for all wool; and stabilisation of rates on agricultural land and that the Department of Agriculture should publish the agricultural production costings figures.

The Minister was very enthusiastic about the Marshall Plan, hoping Ireland would get a free grant like other countries, instead of a loan. He was called away from our meeting before we discussed the sheep question, so on 7th July we called a special Conference of sheep breeders, representatives being present from the following Sheep Breeders’ Associations: Galway, Wexford, Wicklow, Mountain, Suffolk, Waterford, and members of the Irish Farmers’ Federation from Wicklow and Meath.

We had a long interview with the Minister for Agriculture on 8th July and while he was very definite that he would not give any financial assistance to Hill Sheep Farmers for sheep production, he said he would give them every possible assistance under the farm improvement grant to enable them to improve the land around their home-steads and make it capable of feeding a larger number of sheep. He also assured farmers that their fears of a sudden slump in prices of sheep could be allayed as there would be an un-limited market for all the sheep and lambs we could produce for the next four or five years at least.

We were very disappointed at his lack of knowledge of the sheep-breeding industry, and we pointed out that many of the mountain farmers had practically no land they could improve, while many of them had only grazing rights of mountains, but were not the owners of those mountains; so to improve the mountains, if this were possible, for somebody else did not hold out any advantage to the individual farmer who needs assistance now to enable him to increase production immediately. It was emphasised, that in many parts of County Wicklow it was not a case of not having enough grazing for sheep, but that many of the mountains were not half stocked with sheep.

The new Trade Agreement with Britain was welcomed by all farmers, as good stabilised prices for all Agricultural Produce over a period of 4 years should go a long way to put our agriculture back on its feet again.

Having congratulated Mr. Dillon, Minister for Agriculture, for having done all he could to improve our position on the British market, we appealed to the farmers of Ireland to do their utmost to increase production in all branches of agriculture, and we hoped the Government would see that the farmers were given the necessary credit and reliefs to enable them to get into full production.

In the spring time (sowing time) our farmers had been encouraged by advertising and announcements from the Department of Agriculture and the Minister that there would be a good price and demand for all we could produce. Alas, when harvest came we found that our oats and potato crops were almost un-saleable. The prices for fat sheep and lambs had dropped, as also fat pigs.

The grain harvest had opened with oats making as low as 20s 0d a barrel (14 stones) and for three months we continued to press the Minister for Agriculture to give the famers a just price for their oats. We considered that 2s 6d a stone should be the minimum price to the farmers for their oats. Finally the Government fixed a price of 2s 0d a stone for oats which bushelled 38 lbs or over.

Unfortunately, hundreds and hundreds of farmers could not wait so long and were forced to sell their oats at very low prices to meet their rates, seed merchants’ and manure merchants’ bills, etc., and, as usual, it was the small farmer and those on the poorer land who suffered most, and those who could only grow back oats on their lands.

During the year we sent memorandums to the Commission of Enquiry into Emigration, and the Transport Commission, presided over by Sir J. Milne. In the latter we stressed the necessity for the railways to be maintained, that too much heavy traffic had been shifted from the railways to the roads, that long distance bus services running parallel to the railway be discontinued and where necessary to run buses to feed the railways, that passenger fares are too low, that CIE road transport for livestock freight charges were much higher than licensed hauliers and left much to be desired in the way of efficiency. That better train service for livestock should be provided which would take the bulk of the livestock traffic, and where the railways had been shut up, the CIE should provide proper loading banks for lorries to load livestock.

In December we decided we would seek an interview with Mr. Joseph E. Carrigan, the American representative of Marshall Aid to Ireland, to put before him the difficulties of the majority of our farmers to get into production. We felt that if this 60 million dollar loan is meant to help the country back into full production it is the farmers who require the immediate help. Also that as we know all payments eventually come out of the land, we should see that dollars are not used on unnecessary purchases.

On 2nd February, 1949, we had a long and most interesting interview with Mr. Carrigan, and impressed on him that the great need of our farmers was credit facilities to enable them to re-stock and improve the equipment of their farms, and guaranteed just prices over a term of years so that they would have stability and assured markets. Mr. Carrigan said that he had already addressed meetings of farmers but we were the first who had advocated the necessity for credit and he thought that was our greatest necessity. He also said that from what he gathered about farming conditions and taxes in Ireland that our taxes on land were much higher than in USA.

We held eight meetings of the National Executive during the year. We have kept a watchful eye on all matters affecting our farmers and advised them in the various counties accordingly.

Owing to the false propaganda that had been going on as to the world wool supply and efforts to bring down prices on the home market, we advised the farmers of Ireland that in view of a world shortage of wool and that Eire has the lowest sheep population on record, having only 1,626,400 in January, 1948, against 2,909,410 in 1941, we suggested to farmers that they demand an increase of at least 6d a lb on the price they obtained for their 1947 wool clip.

I am glad to say the general run of prices for 1949 were 3d to 4d a lb increase.

Much improvement has been made in our poultry industry, the great increase in export of Eggs was on account of the good price given with the new Agreement.

For several years our Federation had agitated for the removal of the unjust levy placed on our turkeys for export. The removal this Christmas time had a very good effect on prices of turkeys and will do much to encourage increased production this year.

The upward trend in cattle prices has, thank God, done away with the slaughter of calves. We regret that the all important matter of the price of milk to creameries has not been increased, while wages, rates and other expenses on the farmer have all been increased.

Organisation work has been going on steadily, but some farmers seem to think if you are not doing spectacular things you are not making progress and do not appeal to the multitude. We know that many spectacular movements have been spasmodic but short lived, whereas the work of the Irish Farmers’ Federation has been steady, serious, and studied, and gaining the respect not alone of the farmers but of many people in other walks of life who realise the great National importance of Irish Agriculture.