HC Deb 21 February 1964 vol 689 c258W
Sir A. Hurd

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimates he has made of the total supplies, both home-killed and imported, of beef, lamb and pigmeat that will come on the market in the first three months of 1964 con pared with the same period last year and the average over the last five years.

Mr. Soames

Total supplies of meat in the first quarter of 1963, compared with a 5-year average for the same period, were as follows:—

'000 tons
Jan./March 1963 Jan./March Average 1959–1963
Beef and Veal 337.5 298.1
Mutton 16.6 17.9
Lamb 154.0 144.8
Pigmeat 283.1 265.8
Total 791.2 726.6

Forecasts covering January to March, 1964, indicate that supplies of beef and veal are likely to be somewhat less than in the first quarter of 1963, but above the 5-year average: mutton, lamb and pigmeat should be at about last year's level. Total supplies of meat are likely to be somewhat less than in the first quarter of 1963, when the market was of course disrupted by excessive supplies of beef, but above the 5-year average.