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

1959 Elizabeth Bobbett: Letter to the Irish Independent, 31.10.1959

Flour and Farmers

A few days ago I was handed a very interesting little newsletter issued by the Irish Flour Millers’ Association. The aim behind the publication is to try to see why there has been such a decline in the consumption of bread and flour and that it is a matter of national importance to arrest such a decline. It stated: “The decline in average weekly deliveries of flour from the mills for both bakery and household consumption had fallen since 1949/50 to 1958/59 by 11,015 sacks per week. This means that in ten years sales of flour for bread-making have fallen off by nearly 600,000 sacks a year or approximately 20 per cent (one sack equals 280 lbs)”.

Unfortunately it is only too easy to point out why bread sales have declined. In the recent report from the Central Statistics Office we read that in seven years 67,000 people left the land, and for the years 1946 to 1958 the number of farmers (and relatives assisting) decreased by 77,700. A few years ago we had a Census taken on the cost of living and the amount spent on the different foods in the various types of homes and that report showed that the people in rural areas consumed more flour and bread than the people in the cities, and at that time country people were paying 4d a stone more for flour than city people. The two major factors for the decline, therefore, are the fall in the rural population and the withdrawal of the subsidy on bread and flour. Why have so many people left the land I would say because of insecurity of employment and low remuneration (the farmer must get a better share of the National Income), too high taxation and too costly a Government. These are matters that must be taken at national level by all interested in the welfare of our land.