HC Deb 12 April 1956 vol 551 cc361-4
1. Mr. Hayman

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the losses suffered by Cornish farmers and horticulturists as a result of the recent severe weather.

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. D. Heathcoat Amory)

In general, grain crops and livestock in Cornwall were not seriously affected by the severe February weather, but considerable damage was done to some green crops, and vegetables and flowers. I am circulating a more detailed statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Hayman

Is the Minister aware that for the third winter in succession we have had exceptionally severe weather in Cornwall, that the losses on the broccoli crop are estimated at £350,000, and that it was not possible to take advantage of the markets for the flower crop in February and early March? Is the Minister further aware that in Cornwall, and particularly in my constituency, we have a very high percentage of smallholdings which are intensively worked, and will he do all he can to safeguard the markets for the later crops?

Mr. Amory

The hon. Gentleman is quite right: I am aware that Cornwall has had exceptionally bad luck with the weather for the last three years, and I sympathise very much with the horticulturists in respect of the position. I would point out to the hon. Gentleman that our goods and services scheme is available, and applications for short-term loans under that scheme will be sympathetically considered.

Mr. Willey

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that it seems that middlemen are taking undue advantage of this difficult situation? Will he make urgent inquiries about it?

Mr. Amory

I am in the closest possible touch with the position.

Following is the statement: Autumn-sown cereals in Cornwall suffered a setback as a result of the severe weather in February, but the area under these crops is very small. Damage to wheat was slight and none is likely to need re-sowing, but it is estimated that some 10 per cent. of the small areas under barley and oats will have to be renown. Green crops for stock feeding were severly affected, and what remained of the main crop of kale was almost a complete loss; late kale was slightly affected. Although grassland made no growth and some fields were burnt by frost, there was no appreciable killing and the grass soon began to recover. Normal spring growth has been retarded by two to three weeks. The very small quantities of potatoes in clamps appear to have suffered no damage from frost. About a quarter of the broccoli crop had been marketed before the frost, but of the remaining area almost half was destroyed and much was damaged. The surviving crop is recovering and will be marketed this month. Broad beans and winter lettuce which are relatively small crops, were also severely damaged. Spring greens and spring cabbage were severely checked, but except for some small losses are now recovering and will be marketed during April and May. Daffodils were retarded while other flowers and foliage crops were severely damaged. The condition of cattle and sheep was maintained with the use of extensive hand-feeding. The fall of early lambs was good, but there was a slight increase in mortality rate in later-lambing ewes, possibly due to the effects of the weather in February. Ewes are milking well.
2. Mr. Hayman

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that Annual Price Reviews and other aids to farming have failed to provide stability for the agricultural industry in Cornwall; and if he will introduce further measures to deal with the problem.

Mr. Amory

Cornish farmers are receiving benefit on a substantial scale from the agricultural subsidies. I am aware that difficult weather conditions have adversely affected both agriculture and horticulture, but the Government cannot attempt to compensate for the temporary effects of the weather.

Mr. Hayman

Is the Minister aware that my Question is virtually the text of a resolution carried by a large majority at a Conservative conference in Cornwall recently, when the Minister of Health, who was there, described it as absurd, and then offered to send some Yorkshire farmers to take over some Cornish farms? Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether this was as a result of a Cabinet decision?

Mr. Amory

I had not the good fortune to be present and listen to my right hon. Friend. I know that he is a very knowledgeable farmer. I have quite enough work explaining away my own speeches, and I know very well that my right hon. Friend needs no help from me when speaking on agriculture.

I should also like to say that I am aware of the special difficulties of Cornish farmers. My county executive committee has kept me in very close touch. My hon. Friends the Members for Cornwall, North (Sir R. Roper), Bodmin (Mr. D. Marshall), St. Ives (Mr. G. R. Howard) and Truro (Mr. G. Wilson) have been to see me on several occasions and have put the special difficulties of their constituents to me in a very lucid and effective way.

Mr. G. R. Howard

In view of the special difficulties of the small farmers in West Cornwall, would my right hon. Friend be prepared to examine and consider, on the long-term view, the whole position of production grants as it affects those farmers, because that would also help the horticulturists who have been so badly hit?

Mr. Amory

My hon. Friend will, I think, agree that the small farmers in Cornwall already get substantial help from the marginal production grants and the fertiliser subsidy. I would remind my hon. Friend of paragraph 36 in the White Paper, in which the Government indicated that we would endeavour to devise arrangements for projecting some of the price guarantees further forward than one year. I hope that we shall be successful in that direction.