§ 19. Mr. P. Browneasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the tonnage of maize imported into this country during the first ten months of 1962 as compared with the same period in 1961, and the estimated tonnage of the home-grown barley crop for 1962 as compared with 1961.
§ Mr. SoamesIn the first nine months of 1962, maize imports amounted to about 3.5 million tons compared with about 2.4 million tons in the same period last year. I regret that the figures for October this year are not yet available. The homegrown barley crop this year is provisionally estimated at just over 5½million tons compared with just under 5 million tons last year.
§ Mr. BrowneCan my right hon. Friend say why it is necessary for us to have 805 higher imports of maize this year in particular when we have a record barley crop on our own home farms to get rid of?
§ Mr. SoamesYes, Sir. But my hon. Friend will bear in mind that he asked for the figures for the first ten months of the year and I am able to give him only the figures for the first nine months of the year? Much of this was when the last harvest was being shifted, and he will remember that in the early part of this year the price of barley was quite high. It was all shifted off our farms and there was this considerable importation of maize brought about by a higher demand for feedingstuffs as a whole.
§ Mr. BrowneIs my right hon. Friend satisfied that we shall get rid of the home barley crop satisfactorily in spite of these imports?
§ Mr. SoamesLast year the importation earlier in the year doubtlessly led the trade to look for other sources of supply when the barley was higher priced, including maize, and substantial commitments were made to buy forward. Much of this maize is now coming in but while we have this large home crop to be moved the compounders have given a general undertaking to do their best to take up home-grown barley, and I must look to them not to prejudice this by committing themselves to excessive purchases of maize abroad.