§ THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES (LORD CARRINGTON)My Lords, with your Lordships' permission, I should like to make a Statement which is being made this afternoon in another place by my right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture. It refers to the Annual Agricultural Review and is as follows:
I am glad to be able to inform the House that a schedule of farm prices has been agreed which in the current national circumstances is considered, both by the Government and by the leaders of the three National Farmers' Unions, to be properly related both to the economic condition of the industry and to the task before it. I am arranging to have circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT a schedule of the agreed prices.
Agriculture will have its full share of the nation's economic resources. Because the majority of our farms are small, and the men who farm them find it particularly difficult to finance expansion in output in the face of rising costs, we have tried to mitigate where possible the adverse effect of cost increases and so avoid the need for undue increases in farm prices.
We have decided to hold unchanged until March 31, 1953, the basic release prices of feeding-stuffs. We propose also to lay before the House a scheme for continuing ploughing-up grants and a scheme to extend the subsidy on 388 fertilisers. Subject to the necessary statutory authority, we propose to authorise the renewal of a calf subsidy. The increases in farm prices, together with the subsidy arrangements I have mentioned, should enable the industry both to meet the higher costs which have arisen during the year and to finance the programme for the further expansion of output.
The country's economic difficulties, coupled with the actual and prospective world shortage of food, especially meat, make it essential that more food should be raised from our own soil. The just and constructive award which I am now announcing provides a firm foundation for the long-term policy which the Government is working out in conjunction with the leaders of the industry. It should lead to significant improvement in the supply of home produced food for the consumer and I see no reason why by 1956 net output should not have been raised by at least 60 per cent. above pre-war.
§ Following is the Schedule referred to:
| CROP PRICES FOR 1953 | ||||
| Present 1952 price (approximate annual average)* | Addition for 1953 harvest to existing price schedules† | |||
| s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| Wheat, millable, per cwt. | 29 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| Barley, minimum price per cwt. | 23 | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| Oats, minimum price per cwt. | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Rye, minimum price per cwt. | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Sugar beet, per ton‡ | 112 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Potatoes, average per ton§ | 239 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| * Price fixed after 1951 Annual Review plus Special Review Additions (November, 1951). | ||||
| † Existing schedules are as announced on 29th March, 1951 and 29th November, 1951 subject to grade and seasonal variations. | ||||
| ‡ Average for beet of 15.5 per cent. sugar content. An alternative method of payment in relation to sugar content is to be negotiated for 1953. | ||||
| § The discount for substandard ware potatoes of the 1953 harvest is to be negotiated. The 1952 price Quoted is for standard ware. |