§ 14. Mr. Michael Shawasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the support that will be given for potato production in the coming season.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithThe guaranteed price for the 1981 crop will be announced shortly.
§ Mr. ShawDoes my hon. Friend agree that there is a continued need to improve marketing in the industry, and especially to match production with the needs of the processers?
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithI wholly agree with my hon. Friend. I think that the views which he expressed were very much echoed by the report of my right hon. Friend's marketing advisers. That report is now being discussed between my Department and the Potato Marketing Board and producers generally. I hope that out of that we can get better marketing and in particular take into account the needs of the processers.
§ Mr. Peter MillsWill the Minister bear in mind that the industry needs a good shake-up, and that it needs to wake up and move into the 1980s with modern processing and marketing? Will he make it clear to the industry that if it does not do that some of the processers will be forced to buy abroad, which would be wrong for this country?
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithAgain, the points that my hon. Friend makes were borne out in the report to which I referred. Another aspect which I think is of particular importance is that we maintain a high quality potato, well presented. It is only if we do that that we can keep up the consumption of potatoes in this country.
§ Mr. MylesWill my hon. Friend give every encouragement to the Scottish Seed Potato Association which is doing a bit for itself in seed potato marketing?
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithAlthough I have some responsibilities for potatoes, I am glad to say that they do not extend to Scottish seed potatoes, although I have a constituency interest. I shall draw the attention of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland to what my hon. Friend has said.