§ 35. Mr. Buchanan-Smithasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what increase in pig production he estimates as a result of the 1967 Agricultural Price Review Award.
§ Mr. HoyThe higher basic guaranteed price determined at the Review is related to the production level we want to see, namely 12.8 to 13.6 million pigs. The Review award aims to provide the incentive and resources for the expansion required.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithIs the hon. Gentleman aware that the prices of bacon pigs are as much as 2s. 4d. a score less now than they were before the Price Review award? How does he reconcile that with an increase in guaranteed prices at the award? Does the think that this will increase pig production and reach the target which he mentioned?
§ Mr. HoyThe hon. Gentleman knows that the figure which the bacon curer pays the bacon producer is not controlled by the Government. This is a price agreement between the farmer and the 533 bacon curer. The hon. Gentleman also knows that last year, right up to the Review, we were having trouble with the curers, who said that they were having to pay farmers so much that they were not getting pigs to cure. I hope that what we have done is to provide fairly generous measures to get pig production up to where we want it to be; and I hope that both the curer and the farmer will make sensible, and satisfactory arrangements which will result in both earning their livelihoods.