§ 30. Mr. Shepherdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what level of egg prices he considers necessary in order to maintain a viable egg industry in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. BishopIt is not possible to cite a level of prices which would guarantee the viability of the United Kingdom egg industry and prices will inevitably fluctuate in a free market situation reflecting the short-run relationship between supply and demand. Costs of production too are 585W subject to fluctuation. Although other costs have risen feed costs are, for example, lower now than they were at this time last year. Moreover, within the industry individual producers' returns will vary widely depending on the type of production and the method of marketing.