Mr. Michael Moloney:

I understand the comparison. With regard to barley for straw, there is a scheme where it is chopped for €100 an acre. That is the value of the straw but the grain is worth more than €300 a tonne at the moment. The difference here is that people are given a licence to grow the crop for the straw, in the main, and for the seeds, which are to be used for industrial uses. The other parts of the plant are not provided for under that licence. Farmers are prohibited from harvesting those elements under the Misuse of Drugs Acts.