§ Mr. Peartasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on meat prices in view of the continuing fall during this last month in supplies of meat from traditional sources.
§ Mr. SoamesA comparison of rates of supply in March with those in February shows that, although somewhat less beef was available, there was more carcase meat in total. The shortfall in beef was more than offset by lamb, and pork supplies remained steady. The drop in total beef supplies was entirely the result of lower imports, which for the month of March totalled less than 16,000 tons, compared with 30,000 and 24,000 tons in March 1963 and 1962 respectively. Home killed totalled 77,000 tons compared with about 72,000 in the previous two years. Figures for April are not yet available, but home-produced beef supplies have been well maintained.
Average wholesale prices of beef on Smithfield have now in general fallen slightly from the high levels to which they had risen by mid-April. Wholesale pork prices have fallen gradually since December.