§ 27. Lieut.-Colonel Sir Thomas Mooreasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is yet able to form any estimate of the amount of feeding-stuffs which should be available for farmers during the next 12 months; whether he anticipates any shortage of supplies as compared with the immediate pre-war period; and what steps he is taking to encourage farmers to grow crops which will provide them with adequate substitutes?
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithI am unable to give any estimate of the quantities of animal feeding-stuffs that will be available during the next 12 months, but owing to other demands upon the limited shipping space available, I anticipate that the aggregate quantity imported will continue to be appreciably below the pre-war level. As regards the last part of the Question, I have, since the outbreak of war, constantly impressed upon farmers that, in their own interest, they should make every effort to grow a larger proportion of their own feeding-stuff requirements, and county war agricultural executive 1625 committees have been given a wide latitude in approving crops for the purposes of the grant for ploughing-up.