§ 106. Mr. Hurdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what increase there has been in the acreage of dessert apples in the United Kingdom since 1939; what extra tonnage this additional acreage represents, assuming a normal average yield; and what further increase of home-grown dessert apples he anticipates will be marketed when the additional orchard acreage recently planted comes into full bearing.
Mr. AmoryThere are no figures for dessert apple acreages before the war. The special 1951 fruit census showed that there were then 62,000 acres in England and Wales, of which 41,000 acres were trees of 7 years old and over. The 1955 acreage is estimated to be about 65,000. Average production over the 5 years from 1951 has been estimated at about 190,000 tons a year. When the present area is in full production, by about 1960, there might be a further 60,000 tons of home grown dessert apples under average conditions.