Beef Cows

HC Deb 21 May 1981 vol 5 c409

10. Mr. Peter Mills

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the number of beef cows in the United Kingdom compared with a year ago.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

The provisional results of the December 1980 census show the number of beef cows in the United Kingdom to be 1,469,000 compared with 1,536,000 in December 1979.

Mr. Mills

Does my hon. Friend agree that the trend seems to be serious and that it is developing into an imbalance in British agriculture in that corn is up and stock is down? What steps can be taken to reverse the trend in the interests of farming and the consumer?

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

I share my hon. Friend's concern about the relationship between the livestock and arable sectors of our farming industry. We can be encouraged by two matters. First, the trend was recognised in the price review in Europe this year, in the price awards for different commodities. Secondly, the Government have put more money into the hill areas and hill cows than at any previous time. I do not read much into it, but I hope that my hon. Friend will be encouraged by the fact that the numbers of in-calf dairy heifers and in-calf beef heifers were slightly increased at the end of last year. The increase is slight, but it is an increase.

Mr. Cockeram

Does my hon. Friend accept that nothing would be gained if Britain were to add to its unemployment by including farmers engaged in the milk and beef industries? Will he ensure that those industries continue to prosper, bearing in mind that Britain's consumption of these products is below their production figures?

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

I agree. That is why we believe that, in the interests of the economy as a whole, a strong agriculture industry has an important part to play.

Mr. Maclennan

Will the Minister confirm that the switch is not so much from beef to cereals but out of beef in the hills and uplands? Does he agree that that is a disturbing trend? While the Minister has taken some steps, does he agree that he must continue to make more help available in the hills and uplands if the trend is to be reversed?

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

I know the hon. Gentleman's constituency and I am sure that he will welcome the fact that, for a hill cow, taking into account the suckler cow subsidy, the hill farmer this year receives slightly over £54 per cow, compared with £29 two years ago.