§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the arrangements for different production categories for sugar beet; how much was produced in each category in each of the past five years; how the categories were allocated to farmers; and what was the average price paid for each category, including pulp payments.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithQuotas established under the Community regime are allocated to sugar-producing enterprises. The differences between the three categories of sugar are that A quota sugar is subject to a maximum levy of 2 per cent., B quota sugar is subject to a maximum levy of 39½ per cent. and C sugar is not subject to levies but receives no price support and has to be sold outside the Community. The sugar manufacturers are required to pay a minimum price for sugar beet used for producing A quota sugar—A beet—and a separate and lower minimum price is set for B beet. Within the general framework set by Community regulations the allocation of A and B beet to individual farmers and the actual prices paid are a matter for agreement between the sugar producers and representatives of the sugar beet growers.
Estimated production and prices—including pulp and transport allowances—of A and B beet in the United Kingdom for the last five years are as follows.
No C beet was produced in the United Kingdom in any of these years:
Table 1 Production ('000 tonnes beet) A B 1977–78 6,382 — 1978–79 7,081 — 1979–80 6,902 757 1980–81 6,940 440 1981–82 7,043 352
Table 2 Prices (£ per tonne) 1977–78 21.93 — 1978–79 23.72 — 1979–80 28.28 28.28 1980–81 28.02 25.51 1981–82 (Prov.) 28.05 21.09 Note 1.
Before 1 July 1981 no levies were applied to A quota sugar and the maximum rate of levy on B quota sugar was 30 per cent.