§ Mr. Kilfedderasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what increases he expects after 1st January 1973 in the prices of eggs, poultry, milk, butter, lamb, beef and pigmeat; and how far he estimates that these increases will be offset by the additional amount that farmers will have to pay for feeding-stuffs.
§ Mr. GodberI assume that the question relates to prices to producers. Present guaranteed prices received by producers for eggs, milk, lamb, beef and pigmeat will continue until the end of the fatstock year. Guaranteed prices for 1973–74 will be determined after the 1973 Annual Review and I cannot anticipate the review findings. Realisation prices for milk sold for butter are dependent on market forces but from 1st February 1973 producers will have the additional safeguard provided by an intervention price for butter of £357.06 per ton, rising on the present basis to £428.77 per ton on 1st April 1973. Producer prices for poultry after 1st January 1973 will continue to be determined by market forces. In these circumstances it is not possible to estimate the precise relationship of price changes to any changes in feeding-stuffs costs.