HC Deb 20 April 1982 vol 22 cc64-5W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1970, based on 1970 equals 100, the estimated change in the real income per acre under crops and grass together with the return on capital employed in the farming industry.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

Information on the return on capital employed in the farming industry is not available. Figures for aggregate farming income are given in successive annual review of agriculture White Papers. The following table is based on these figures deflated by the retail price index and divided by the acreage under crops and grass in each year:

Index of farming income per acre under crops and grass, deflated by the retail price index (1970 = 100)
Year
1970 100
1971 101

Year
1972 100
1973 129
1974 94
1975 94
1976 104
1977 89
1978 81
1979 68
1980 51
1981 53

Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1970, based on 1970 equals 100, the estimated change in real income of the median farmer and for farmers generally.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

I regret that the information requested on the median farmer is not available. Figures for aggregate farming income are given in successive annual review of agriculture White Papers. The following table is based on these figures deflated by the retail price index:

1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 *1980–81
Barbados 39.9 52.0 34.5 60.1 59.9
Belize 103.3 99.6 98.9 100.6 96.8
Congo nil 48.9 nil 197.4 102.8
Fiji 100.4 100.7 100.4 100.3 83.0
Guyana 102.5 102.1 99.8 100.5 91.3
India 106.7 92.7 99.8 95.5 nil
Jamaica 99.7 95.9 99.7 97.3 66.0
Kenya nil nil nil nil nil
Madagascar nil nil nil nil nil
Malawi 99.5 100.3 72.1 75.9 74.9
Mauritius 106.9 102.9 94.6 92.8 72.4
St. Kitts 85.2 100.3 97.6 103.0 99.1
Surinam nil nil nil nil nil
Swaziland 102.6 95.8 101.7 98.7 110.4
Tanzania 104.7 96.8 100.4 99.6 nil
Trinidad and Tobago 104.7 100.5 95.1 87.3 89.5
Uganda nil 108.2 nil nil nil
Total 98.6 96.9 92.3 93.8 77.9
* Provisional

Notes:

(a) These percentages are based on arrivals attributed to each quota year. In principle these years run from July to June, but some tolerance on delivery times is allowed to deal with unforeseen delays between shipment and arrival.

(b) The detailed rules for operating the sugar protocol allow for a degree of tolerance on quantities attributed to each quota year. Where these tolerances have applied in one year a corresponding adjustment is made the following year. The operation of these rules is the main reason why. in some cases, the figures exceed 100 per cent.