HC Deb 02 December 1957 vol 579 cc17-8
24. Mr. J. E. B. Hill

asked the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food whether, on the basis of figures available to him from his representatives in the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation, he will state, for the last three years, the grower's price and, where applicable, the f.o.b. export price of wheat produced in Belgium. France, Federal Germany, Sweden, Turkey, and the United

WHEAT PRICES
TABLE I £ per long ton
Country Grower's price Export price (a)
1954 1955 1956 1954 1955 1956
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)
Belgium … … 34.1 33.0 33.4 Not applicable
France … … 35.2 35.2 38.8 23.1 22.5 24.2
West Germany … … 35.2 35.9 36.7 Not applicable
Sweden … … 31.2 29.0 29.8 24.8 27.4 29.5
Turkey … … 43.9(c) 45.0(c) 46.4(c) 25.7 28.4 36.4
U.S.A. … … 28.3 26.5 26.5 24.3 23.3 22.6
TABLE II
Guaranteed price Average market price (b)
1954 1955 1956 1954 1955 1956
United Kingdom … … 30.75 30.00 30.00 21.58 22.83 22.67
(a) Calendar year average.
(b) Crop year average.
(c) Average of quotations Istanbul Exchange, soft wheat.

States of America; and if he will compare these prices with the equivalent British guaranteed prices and the average market price received for British home-grown wheat.

Mr. Godber

As the reply contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Hill

Will not my hon. Friend agree that the trend of these figures will show, first, that the export prices of foreign wheat are frequently below cost of production; secondly, that foreign wheat growers tend to receive a higher return in their own country than is the case with British wheat growers; and, thirdly, that British wheat growing is extremely efficient and economic?

Mr. Godber

Yes, Sir. By and large the figures bear out the points my hon. Friend has made. In some respects they are quite startling.

Following are the figures: