Legislative Assembly Honourable Daniel J. MacDonald : I believe I have the figures here. Two thous- and leas milk cows. I haven't got the comparative figures here, Sir. Walter Dingwell: You haven't the production. Honourable Daniel J. MacDonald : No. I can get that for you, Sir . I don't think, as you stated, that it is too great. According to the D.B.S. Report for the year 1966, there were 5,074,014 pounds graded which represented approximately 97.5% of the total manufactured. 98.71% was first grade, and 1.29% was second grade. There was a slight increase in first grade of .1% over 1966. The grading of cheese was done weekly during the summer and every two weeks during the winter months. Three grading centres exist in the province, at Charlottetown , Morell , and Summerside . In 1966, 1,912,000 of cheese were graded representing 96.5% of the total manufactured, with 96.64% being first grade. Total milk production from January 1, 1966 to October 31, 1966, amounted to 198,890 pounds, a decrease from the previous year of 6,718 pounds. In 1966 a total of 18 carloads representing 438,000 pounds were sold by the Agricultural Stabiliza¬ tion Board. All butter was sold on the B-Plan, 65c a pound. At the present time, 50% of the butter has been reworked and sold to the trade. The B-Plan means that the butter is purchased — the producing company that sells the butter having the option of buying it back. The Dairy Support Program became effective on April the first, 1966, and will continue until lurch 31, 1967. On the program, cream producers receive 21.43% for all butter manufactured into butter. The payments are made direct to producers from the Agricultural Stabilisation Board, Ottawa. Cream shippers have been re¬ ceiving this payment quarterly. They are now supposed to receive it on a monthly basis, which I know will be greatly appreciated by all recipients of this support price. The price of manufactured milk on the average was guaranteed at $400 per cwt., for milk testing 8.5% butterfat f.o.b. plant, and 75c per cwt., was paid by the Stabilisation Board. Keith Harrington : Mr. Minister , those that shipped milk, have they received that subsidy during the whole year, every month? Honourable Daniel J. MacDonald : Fluid milk, Sir? Keith Harrington : Yea Honourable Daniel J. MacDonald : Up to a certain quota, Sir, to a certain quota, they received that subsidy. Keth Harrington : Every month of the year? Honourable Daniel J. MacDonald : The milk fellows? Keith Harrington : Yes. Honourable Daniel J. MacDonald : I was of the opinion they did, yes. Some Member : But not the butter? Honourable Daniel J. MacDonald : Not the butter, no. The butter comes every three months. Keith Harrington : My question was that I understood there was a few months that they did not receive it. In other words those months were skipped and they will not receive any subsidy for those particular months. Some Member : The first months. Honourable Daniel J. MacDonald : I wasn't aware of this, Sir . I havent been aware of this; it is really news to me because I didn't know this. There has been some effort made to get subsidy was there? —182—