§ 68. Lieut.-Colonel JAMESasked the Under-Secretary of State for, Foreign Affairs whether he has received information to the effect that owing to the inflated prices derived from cotton, which at a conservative estimate have recently given a net profit exceeding £120 per acre, the cultivators in Egypt have ploughed up large areas of land already sown with cereals in order that they may plant cotton instead; whether he is aware that this action on the part of the cultivators is certain to add very largely to the cost of food in Egypt owing to the necessity of purchasing imported cereals; whether it is also realised that the action of the Egyptian cultivators will increase the shortage of cereals elsewhere; and whether the Government has taken, or proposes to take, any action in the matter?
§ The ADDITIONAL PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Lieut.-Colonel Sir Hamar Greenwood)His Majesty's Government have no official information on the subject, but have reason to believe that some isolated cases have occurred when standing crops of cereals have been ploughed up in order to plant cotton. It must be remembered that the price of cereals is very high, and unless the crop had been almost a complete failure, 1268 the cultivators would hesitate to plough it up in view of the approaching harvest which will commence next month. The Egyptian Government are fully alive to the importance of conserving the home supply of cereals and may be trusted effectively to check the practice referred to by the hon. and gallant Member.