HC Deb 20 April 1971 vol 815 cc926-7
8. Mr. Adam Butler

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the cereal acreage planted for the 1971 harvest.

Mr. Anthony Stodart

I regret that I cannot yet give an estimate. The March Census returns were delayed by the postal strike, and examination of the figures has not been completed. It is hoped to publish them during May.

Mr. Butler

My hon. Friend will be aware that the White Paper referred to higher acreages of winter wheat. May I therefore ask, first, what influence he expects this to have on the import of wheat?

Secondly, will he give any assessment at this stage of how much of the return to farmers will come from the market and how much from the guaranteed price system?

Mr. Stodart

The planting of winter wheat was 300,000 acres more than in the previous year. At this stage, as a farmer, I should not wish to prophesy what the yield will be in August and September. It would take a drop in yield of only 4 cwt. an acre to bring the total figure to what it was last year for the smaller acreage.

I hope that the market will take up as much of the supplies of good quality imported wheat as before. I think an announcement will be made shortly about the level of the target indicator price, which should give some indication of the amount of returns as between the support price and the market.