§ 56. Mr. Hurdasked the Minister of Agriculture when he expects to be able to provide more feeding stuffs for chick rearing in order that poultry farmers can by timely restoration of laying flocks use to advantage the large supplies of grain that will be shipped to this country in 1947 and so save the high cost of dried eggs imported from the U.S.A.
66. Mr. De la Bèreasked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in connection with the additional cattle feeding stuffs purchased by the Ministry of Food, he will, in conjunction with the Minister of Food, issue a short statement regarding the additional supplies which may be available for 1947 to farmers, stockbreeders and poultry keepers.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsThe Government is making constant efforts to buy more feed-ingstuffs in overseas countries and as soon as larger supplies can be obtained and shipped to this country, ration scales for all classes of stock will be reviewed. Certain increases in rations including chick rearing rations during the period January-April next, were announced on nth December. These increases are as great as are warranted by the supplies available. Our prospective supplies are, as yet, too uncertain to justify larger increases or to enable any statement to be made in regard to the likely levels in 1947 of rations for poultry or any other class of stock.
§ Mr. HurdDoes the Minister hold out any hope of being able to give a definite lead to the farmers by the middle of January when his colleague, the Minister of Food, as he has told us, hopes to know how he stands for cereals?
§ Mr. WilliamsThat would be attempting to enter into the realm of prophecy with all the known difficulties regarding shipping, transport and all the rest of it in any of the exporting countries