asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will recommend to the Pigs and Bacon Commission to fix a minimum price for bacon pigs purchased by bacon factories for curing of not less than that realised for such pigs exported alive to Northern Ireland during the past few weeks.

The answer is, no. I am satisfied that in the long run the fixing of minimum prices would not be in the best interests of those producers who aim at marketing their pigs at suitable bacon weights.

Is the Minister aware that, in so far as the export market is a benefit to the agricultural producers, such, for instance, as in the case of pigs, the export of this livestock is stopped at the request of two city Deputies, whilst on the other hand when the export market is a disadvantage, as in the case of the export of eggs at 2/- a dozen, there is no outcry to protect the agricultural producer by guaranteeing him 3/- a dozen which he had been getting in 1948?