§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why he is reducing the allocation of sugar beet acreage to East Anglia by 10,000 acres.
§ Mr. John MackieThe national acreage to which the guaranteed price for sugar beet applies is determined at the annual review. The allocation of this acreage locally in accordance with the processing capacity of the factories is a matter for the British Sugar Corporation.
In recent years the acreages contracted for in the factory areas of Allscott, Kidderminster, Nottingham and Cupar have not provided sufficient beet for the economic working of these factories. The acreage not taken up was accordingly made available by the Corporation to growers in East Anglia and Yorkshire and the additional beet grown there was transported back, so far as practicable, to these factories so as to maintain their throughput at an economic level.
There is now a welcome revival of interest in sugar beet in the west and in Scotland. The Corporation is accordingly transferring some 10,000 acres back to the factory areas where they properly belong.