Apple and Pear Development Council

HC Deb 22 January 1981 vol 997 cc416-7

11. Mr. Bob Dunn

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he is satisfied with the working of the Apple and Pear Development Council.

Mr. Peter Walker

Yes, Sir. Since we reorganised the Apple and Pear Development Council last year under a new chairman, it has made a splendid start in improving the marketing of home-grown fruit and in helping to restore the confidence of our top fruit industry.

Mr. Dunn

Will my right hon. Friend undertake to liaise with and act as a catalyst to the Apple and Pear Development Council to secure more aggressive marketing of the English Cox and Bramley apples.

Mr. Walker

Yes, Sir. As my hon. Friend knows, with his interest in the subject, this past year the council launched the Kingdom pack for Cox apples and next year will go ahead with the Brantley apple. I am glad to say that, for example, during the peak of the season imports from a major exporter such as France were down about 40 per cent. on last year.

Mr. Freud

Will the Minister investigate the hardship occasioned to individual apple growers while there is a subsidy for co-operatives? Does he recognise that there is a great incentive due to his policies to grow inferior apples and pears at this moment? Would he like to tell the House how much Government money is spent on food produced for dumping?

Mr. Walker

We have given positive encouragement to building better co-operatives. An important factor about the Kingdom brand is that quality control will be carefully monitored. The customer will be guaranteed a very good quality apple when he purchases that brand in the pack. We are moving towards better packaging and better quality control. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman agrees that that is much overdue.

Mr. Crouch

Does the Secretary of State believe that the Apple and Pear Development Council is properly titled, when twice this afternoon it has been referred to as a marketing organisation, and my right hon. Friend even used the phrase himself? Would it not be better titled either as a marketing council or a promotion council?

Mr. Walker

I am not over-keen on the title. I am, however, keen on the results, and the results this year have been very good.

Mr. Newens

Does the right hon. Gentleman recognise that our apple and pear growers are being subjected to unfair competition within the Community even at this time, and, as a result, many good qualities of apples and pears could be driven out of existence by inferior brands from Europe?

Mr. Walker

That is why I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will applaud the fact that we provided the launching aid to the British apple industry this year of improving its marketing, packaging and delivery, which has achieved a good result in a short period. Having learnt from its mistakes and experience in the past year, next year it will make an even bigger impact.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

While I recognise the major contribution made by my right hon. Friend to marketing, not least through such organisations as the Apple and Pear Development Council, is he aware that the income of horticultural producers and farmers in this country has dropped by some 33⅓per cent. in the past 10 years? What steps is he taking to ensure that those industries earn a proper income on their investment?

Mr. Walker

Yes, Sir. I regret that due to the substantial increase in input costs in real terms there was a further substantial drop in farm incomes last year. That is why I find it surprising that the Labour Party is constantly advocating that that income should fall still further.