§ 35. Mr. MACPHERSONasked the Minister of Agriculture the average costs of sugar-beet per acre and per ton in the years 1930 and 1931 in England and Wales, specifying in detail the costs of labour, manures, rent and rates, transport, and overhead charges, together with the average price at the factory obtained for sugar-beet, and the value of the residual crowns and leaves?
§ Sir J. GILMOURAs the reply contains a tabular statement, I propose, with my right hon. Friend's permission, to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Sir BASIL PETOIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that any attempt to compare the cost of sugar-beet production with the value of the product at the factory is necessarily misleading if it does not take into account the value to the succeeding crops?
§ Sir J. GILMOURI am aware of the importance to the succeeding crops.
§ Following is the reply:
§ The figures for which my right hon. Friend asks are not collected officially, but an arrangement has been made by which the Institute for Research in Agricultural Economics at Oxford compiles figures from representative farms in the country. The latest figures available relate to the 1930 crop before the last fall in the rate of subsidy, and are as follow:
| Per Acre. | Per Ton. | |||||
| £ | s. | d. | £ | s. | d. | |
| Labour | 9 | 5 | 4 | 17 | 5 | |
| Manure and Seed | 4 | 17 | 11 | 9 | 2 | |
| Rent and Rates | 1 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| Overhead Expenses. | 1 | 0 | 6 | l | 11 | |
| Transport | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 11 | |
| 19 | 17 | 11 | 1 | 17 | 4 | |
| Gross Price Received. | 26 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 6 |
| Net addition for Residuals. | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 |