§ 39. Mr. Peter Freemanasked the Minister of Agriculture if he will make an estimate from the information available to him of the number of fruit trees of each variety known being grown at the present time; what steps are being made to augment this supply; and if he will take steps to encourage local authorities to grow all the fruit required to meet all demands in their own area as far as possible.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture (Mr. G. R. H. Nugent)With permission, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT an estimate of 1407 fruit tree numbers in 1952. As for the remainder of the Question, my right hon. Friend is not aware of any shortage of planting stocks of any popular variety of fruit tree, and there seems no reason to believe that production by commercial growers and domestic food producers will fail to keep pace with the demand for home grown fruit.
§ Mr. NabarroIs my hon. Friend aware that Worcestershire will always look after the fruit?
§ Mr. BaldwinIs my hon. Friend aware that much more fruit was grown last year than could be sold, even at a halfpenny a pound over the cost of picking? Is he further aware that to ask the local authorities to grow fruit will still further increase the appalling rise in the rates at the present moment?
§ Following is the estimate:
| ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF ORCHARD FRUIT TREES IN ENGLAND AND WALES, 1952 ('000 trees) | |||
| Variety | 1952 | ||
| DESSERT APPLES: | |||
| Cox's Orange Pippin | … | … | 5,370 |
| Worcester Pearmain | … | … | 1,710 |
| Others | … | … | 3,020 |
| COOKING APPLES: | |||
| Bramley's Seedling | … | … | 1,895 |
| Early Victoria | … | … | 430 |
| Lord Derby | … | … | 280 |
| Others | … | … | 1,800 |
| PEARS: | |||
| Conference | … | … | 1,400 |
| Others | … | … | 1,020 |
| CIDER APPLES | … | … | 1,700 |
| PERRY PEARS | … | … | 110 |
| PLUMS: | |||
| Victoria | … | … | 1,050 |
| Gage | … | … | 375 |
| Damson | … | … | 420 |
| Others | … | … | 2,900 |
| CHERRIES: | |||
| Sweet | … | … | 760 |
| Sour | … | … | 117 |
§ 40. Mr. Peter Freemanasked the Minister of Agriculture if he will make an estimate from the information available of the number of trees planted and the number cut down or otherwise destroyed last year, showing, where possible, the details of all varieties known, particularly all kinds of fruit trees.
§ Mr. NugentNo, Sir. There is no reliable information available on which to base such an estimate.
§ Major Legge-BourkeWill my hon. Friend give further attention to discovering how many trees are rooted up each year, and, as his Department are trying to encourage growers to uproot old orchards, will he endeavour to keep a record of what happens?
§ Mr. NugentA census of fruit trees is taken approximately every five years. The last time was in 1951, and the next census will be in about three years' time.