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

1950 Elizabeth Bobbett: Letter to the Northern Standard, 04.08.1950

Credit Facilities for the Purchase of Lime and Fertilisers. Letter from General Secretary, Farmers' Federation

Sir. I am extremely glad to note that when concluding the debate on the Estimates for Agriculture, the Minister for Agriculture announced that the Land Project Scheme was to be extended so that any farmer who is of opinion that the soil of any part of his farm is poor, he can apply to the Secretary, Land Project, Department of Agriculture and if a soil test carried out by the Department reveals that the soil requires lime, phosphate or other fertiliser they will be supplied by the Department and the cost added to the annuity of the holding over a long period. Thus for a small increase on his annuity, the farmer can have his land vastly improved in its productive capacity.

I am sure the farmers, particularly in the poorer land, will welcome this extension of the scheme, as we all know that our land has been depleted of its fertility during the past 15 years, and without such credit facilities thousands of farmers would be unable to improve their land.

I know from discussing results of soil tests with farmers in County Wicklow that most of our land would require about £10 worth of lime and fertilisers per statute acres, if you add to that, the cost of a good grass-seed mixture to re-seed a pasture it will bring the cost to from £15 to £17 per acre. Take an average farm of 50 acres, it is probable that at least 30 acres would need lime and fertilisers. I just mention these figures to let these people who are not conversant with farming see the magnitude of the problem.

As fertile land is our greatest National asset, agricultural produce being our greatest wealth producing industry, we the members of the Irish Farmers' Federation, when we had an interview with Mr. James E. Carrigan, Chief ECA Mission to Ireland, in February, 1949, stressed on him the urgent necessity for credit to help farmers to rehabilitate their land with fertilisers, and by drainage, and for the purchase of livestock and equipment.

We owe our best thanks to Deputy Patrick Cogan for so consistently keeping before the Minister for Agriculture the necessity for his scheme for credit facilities for fertilisers.

In conclusion I would like to offer our sincerest thanks to Mr. James E. Carrigan for all he has done to help Irish agriculture during his sojourn in Ireland. It is with regret we learn he is soon returning to USA.

Yours faithfully, Elizabeth Bobbett, General Secretary, Irish Farmers' Federation, Wicklow.