{"id":2003,"date":"2021-08-16T21:28:10","date_gmt":"2021-08-16T21:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/legalblog.ie\/?p=2003"},"modified":"2022-11-09T20:28:41","modified_gmt":"2022-11-09T20:28:41","slug":"agriculture-1930s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/agriculture-1930s\/","title":{"rendered":"Agriculture 1930s"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_63 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/agriculture-1930s\/#Rise_of_Protectionism\" title=\"Rise of Protectionism\">Rise of Protectionism<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/agriculture-1930s\/#The_1930s\" title=\"The 1930s\">The 1930s<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/agriculture-1930s\/#Economic_War\" title=\"Economic War\">Economic War<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/agriculture-1930s\/#Beef_and_Mutton\" title=\"Beef and Mutton\">Beef and Mutton<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/agriculture-1930s\/#Dairy\" title=\"Dairy\">Dairy<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/agriculture-1930s\/#Pigs_and_Bacon\" title=\"Pigs and Bacon\">Pigs and Bacon<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/agriculture-1930s\/#Tillage\" title=\"Tillage\">Tillage<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/agriculture-1930s\/#Various_Crops\" title=\"Various Crops\">Various Crops<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/agriculture-1930s\/#End_of_Economic_War\" title=\"End of Economic War\">End of Economic War<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rise_of_Protectionism\"><\/span>Rise of Protectionism<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The late 1920s and early 1930s saw a rise in protectionism in Europe. One of the key questions in the early years of the Irish Free State was whether, and to what extent to embark on a program of tariff protection.\u00a0 A fiscal enquiry committee that reported in 1923 came down firmly in favour of free trade. The first British Labour Government which was committed to free trade took office in 1924.<\/p>\n<p>Various interests demanded tariffs to protect against a fall in agricultural prices.\u00a0 It was claimed that agricultural produce was being dumped on the Irish market. In \u00a01924 the government promised to introduce limited protection on some items.<\/p>\n<p>The Tariffs Commission considered applications for tariffs on an inter Departmental basis.\u00a0 The first pressure for tariffs came from the grain-growing lobby.\u00a0 They sought to increase the incentive for growing cereal crops, on the basis of the introduction of tariffs on imports.<\/p>\n<p>A statutory tariff committee was established in 1926 under the authority of the Department of Finance.\u00a0 Applications for tariffs were made by the industry concerned.<\/p>\n<p>By 1930 the protectionist lobby in agriculture was becoming more vocal due to the international recession and the fall in agricultural prices.\u00a0 The Tariff Commission recommended the introduction of tariffs on a range of agricultural products such as butter, oats, bacon and linen.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_1930s\"><\/span>The 1930s<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The 1930s were calamitous years for agriculture and many other industries worldwide.\u00a0 Cattle prices fell by over 50 percent. \u00a0Farms and livestock were subject to forced sales in order to satisfy debts. Arrears of agricultural rates and ACC loans rose. Britain introduced protection for farmers again in 1931 after almost 90 years of free trade.\u00a0 Irish exports fell by 10 percent.<\/p>\n<p>In 1932, Fianna F\u00e1il came to power with a commitment to self-sufficiency in agriculture and industries.\u00a0 Tariffs and quotas were introduced in a wide range of manufactured goods including agricultural, machinery and equipment.\u00a0 Heavy duties were placed on imported butter, bacon and on many other items.\u00a0 Farmers were encouraged to concentrate on the domestic market.<\/p>\n<p>Agriculture had worked on a free-trade basis for almost a century, except during price controls in World War I.\u00a0 From the 1930s, the market for agricultural products was regulated by price controls and other mechanisms. The emphasis of public policy switched from marketing, advice and education to price stabilisation, compensation payments and subsidies.<\/p>\n<p>The Agricultural Wages Act re-established agricultural wages boards that had lapsed on independence.\u00a0 The country was divided into five regions with local committees responsible for determining the wage rates.<\/p>\n<p>Most representatives were nominees of the County Committees of agriculture.\u00a0 Many of the new schemes were operated by the county committees of agriculture.\u00a0 They were also involved in schemes for unemployment relief works and grants for rebuilding creameries.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Economic_War\"><\/span>Economic War<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Fianna F\u00e1il government suspended the payment of land annuities owed to Britain under the Land Purchase \u00a0Acts.\u00a0 Retaliation duties of 20 and later of 40 percent were imposed on most imports from Ireland.\u00a0 This included animals, cream, butter, pork, poultry, game and other meat.<\/p>\n<p>The volume of exports to Britain decreased substantially. \u00a0To some extent, the fall in annuities lessened the effect of the reduced exports and fall in cattle prices. Many farmers who had previously been economic became uneconomic.<\/p>\n<p>The Agricultural Products (Regulation of Export) Act 1933 gave the Minister for Agriculture the power to regulate and control the export of agricultural products covered by British emergency duties.\u00a0 This was extended in 1935 to cover all exports.\u00a0 It facilitated the government in negotiating bilateral trade agreements.<\/p>\n<p>British cattle prices continued to fall through 1933 despite penal duties on imports from Ireland.\u00a0 After 1934, Irish cattle exports to Britain required a licence from the British government.\u00a0 The Department of Agriculture allocated the licences based on previous demand patterns.\u00a0 By 1934 only one licence was available for every seven cattle ready for market.<\/p>\n<p>The introduction of employment and unemployment assistance in 1933 assisted the living standards of small farmers and assisting relatives. The schemes for unemployment and home assistance was introduced in 1934 as a temporary measure.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Beef_and_Mutton\"><\/span>Beef and Mutton<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Under the Slaughter of Sheep and Cattle Act, the Department set a minimum price for bullocks, heifers and sheep. All slaughterhouses and butcheries had to be registered.\u00a0 A levy was imposed on each animal slaughtered.<\/p>\n<p>The Department reimbursed butchers for the value of meat supplied to social welfare recipients.\u00a0 Irish farmers received subsidies on the t price for cattle and sheep. The minimum price orders were lifted in the Spring of 1935 on the advice of the Consultative Council on livestock.<\/p>\n<p>The Department paid subsidies to farmers for canned meat or disposal stock.\u00a0 Older animals which had no value were slaughtered.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dairy\"><\/span>Dairy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Until 1930s, the price of butter was determined by market forces.\u00a0 Britain introduced protectionism in 1931.\u00a0 The next year, the Irish government imposed a levy on all butter produced by creameries and factories, using the money to subsidise exports. The \u00a0exchequer subsidy was increased to compensate exporters for additional duties imposed by the British government.<\/p>\n<p>Imports of milk, cream, cheese and almost all manufactured dairy produced other than dried milk was banned.\u00a0 The consumption of milk and dairy products in Ireland was encouraged. By the mid-1930s, substantial monies were paid on subsidies for dairy produce.\u00a0 Irish farmers received 15 percent more than the market price for milk. The Dairy Produce Stabilisation Act was due to expire in 1935 but this was continued by the Dairy Produce Act 1935.<\/p>\n<p>In 1936, the import duty on Irish cattle was reduced in a Coal-Cattle Pact.\u00a0 The cost of dairy subsidies fell considerably as the gap between Irish prices and world prices narrowed.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pigs_and_Bacon\"><\/span>Pigs and Bacon<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The 1935 Pigs and Bacon Act established two marketing boards.\u00a0 The Bacon Marketing Board and the Pigs Marketing Board.\u00a0 They were responsible for breeding pigs.\u00a0 They fixed prices and allocated the British export quotas to factories.\u00a0 This was necessary because of the imposition of quotas on bacon and pig meat in 1933.<\/p>\n<p>The marketing boards were authorised to set export quotas for all the market.\u00a0 In 1939 the boards merged to form The Pigs and Bacon Board which became The Pig and Bacon Commission.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tillage\"><\/span>Tillage<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The promotion of tillage was advocated widely in the 1920s and 1930s.\u00a0 However, the governments resisted compulsory tillage.\u00a0 The Agricultural Produce (Cereals) Act 1933 provided that the Department of Industry and Commerce would be responsible for the legislation concerning flour mills and the Department of Agriculture responsible for the measures relating to wheat and other cereals.<\/p>\n<p>It provided for payment of wheat bounty.\u00a0 Farmers had to register as wheat growers. The Department of Agriculture appointed tillage instructors in certain bounties. A quota of Irish grown wheat was required to be used by flour millers, although it was relatively small.<\/p>\n<p>The Agricultural Product (Cereals) Act 1935 gave the Department of Agriculture the power to require them to store a specified quantity of wheat.\u00a0 They were given the authority to buy or sell homegrown and imported wheat and effectively fix the price of wheat two years in advance.<\/p>\n<p>The effect was a sharp rise in the percentage of flour produced from native wheat from 5 to 15 and ultimately to 26 percent in 1938.\u00a0 By 1938, the acreage under wheat was 255,000 acres, 12 times that in 1932.<\/p>\n<p>Efforts were also made to increase the acreage under Oats and Barley.\u00a0 The Cereals Act 1936 provided for licensing of produces and set quotas for maize meal.<\/p>\n<p>The State now influenced the location of flour and provender mills. It required a quota for native grain. It set the price creameries received for butter.\u00a0 Price subsidies for agricultural products became an important category of government expenditure.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Various_Crops\"><\/span>Various Crops<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A company was established to acquire the existing Carlow sugar factory and construct four factories, each with a capacity of 20,000 tonnes of Sugar Beet. Government guarantees were given for debentures issued by the company.<\/p>\n<p>Industrial alcohol plans were established in areas where it was not possible to grow sugar beet.\u00a0 It was hoped they would grow and purchase up to 400,000 tonnes of potatoes.<\/p>\n<p>The Tobacco act 1934 provided for measures to promote the growing of tobacco.\u00a0 Manufacturers were required to buy a quantity of Irish tobacco at a similar price to that paid for imported tobacco. \u00a0Governments could require the manufacturer to incorporate home-grown tobacco and their blends.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"End_of_Economic_War\"><\/span>End of Economic War<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement of 1938 ended the economic war.\u00a0 Britain removed special duties introduced in 1932 on livestock, meat, poultry, butter, eggs and cream. By 1938 export bounties were abolished on most other products except dairy exports.<\/p>\n<p>Ireland was afforded Commonwealth preferences denied in 1932.\u00a0 It could export livestock, bacon and pork products to Britain duty-free.\u00a0 However, British and Northern Irish farmers benefited from price guarantees for bacon.<\/p>\n<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-2003\" data-postid=\"2003\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-2003 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    <\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rise of Protectionism The late 1920s and early 1930s saw a rise in protectionism in Europe. One of the key questions in the early years of the Irish Free State was whether, and to what extent to embark on a program of tariff protection.\u00a0 A fiscal enquiry committee that reported in 1923 came down firmly [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[92],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2003"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2003"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2003\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20236,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2003\/revisions\/20236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}