asked the Minister of Agriculture if farmers have now been notified of the acreages of tillage crops, par- ticularly wheat and potatoes, which they are expected to grow next year.

In most counties the agricultural executive committees are now obtaining from farmers their proposed cropping programmes for the 1948 harvest. These will be considered in the light of the county targets for the more important crops, which are being sent to committees today. Where necessary farmers will be asked to modify their programmes accordingly.

Will every farmer know by the end of this month what is expected of him in the way of wheat to be sown during the coming autumn?

That is, of course, a matter between the county executive committees and each farmer, and since county programmes are being dispatched today, I hope they will be in time to enable all farmers, if not by the end of July, certainly at a very early date, to know exactly what will he expected of them.

Mr. Baldwin:

Is the Minister aware that if he wants an increased production of wheat from the English farmer the best way of getting it is a fair price comparable to that which the Ministry of Food are paying to the dollar countries, and that the price incentive—

That has nothing to do with this Question, which concerns acreage.