§ Sir Richard Glynasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much the sales of liquid milk from farms between January and September, 1964, varied from the corresponding sale between January and September last year; what proportion this difference represents of the total sales in these periods; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HoyTotal sales of milk off farms in the United Kingdom in January to September, 1963, were 1,853 million gallons of which sales for liquid consump-170W tion were 1,209 million gallons. The figures for the corresponding period in 1964 were 1,799 and 1,226 million gallons, or 2.9 per cent. less and 1.4 per cent. more, respectively. The lower volume of sales off farms is generally believed to have been due mainly to a fall in the size of the dairy herd and a decline, attributable to the weather, in the average yield per cow; both factors may well prove to be temporary.
§ Sir Richard Glynasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much milk was made available for butter-making in the nine months ended September 1964; how many tons of butter he estimates have been produced; and if he will give figures for the butter produced in the corresponding period of 1963. and 1962.
§ Mr. HoyI understand that from January to September 1964 106.6 million gallons of milk were made available for butter making by the milk marketing boards in the United Kingdom. It is estimated that this produced some 20,000 tons of butter; the corresponding figures for 1963 and 1962 are 38,500 tons and 47,700 tons, respectively.