HC Deb 14 March 1983 vol 39 cc28-9W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what change has been made in the quantity of United Kingdom imports of basic foodstuffs since 1970; and which countries have lost trade in each case as a result.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

The following table shows the total quantities of imports of basic foodstuffs in 1970 and in 1982, together with the quantities imported from those countries which contributed the largest supplies in 1970.

United Kingdom food imports 1970 and 1982
(thousand tonnes)
1970 1982
Beef and Veal 265 176
of which— Irish Republic 104 97
Argentina 58 7
Australia 32 8
Mutton and Lamb 331 222
of which— New Zealand 296 218
Australia 32 4
Bacon and Ham 384 286
of which— Denmark 287 196
Poland 47 3
Irish Republic 27 25
Butter 407 185
of which— New Zealand 158 99
Denmark 84 37
Australia 66 —
Cheese 157 130
of which— New Zealand 67 7
Irish Republic 20 39
Netherlands 15 23
Wheat 4,928 1,575
of which— Canada 1,534 1,326
Australia 1,179 —
United States of America 685 70
Barley 1,211 39
of which— Canada 673 3
Australia 275 —
USSR 126 —
Maize 3,119 2,122
of which— United States of America 1,553 1,132
France 429 501
Netherlands 223 97
Sugar (Refined) 250 176
of which— USSR 95 —
Netherlands 42 36
West Germany 29 2
Sugar (Raw) 1,839 1,083
of which— Mauritius 412 395
Australia 347 —
Jamaica 242 115
Guyana 175 159
Trinidad and Tobago 146 40
Potatoes (Early) 277 316
of which— Cyprus 135 124
Spain 43 32
France 12 38
Potatoes (Other) 22 276
of which— Spain 9 1
Netherlands 8 241
Cyprus 2 7

Source: Overseas Trade Statistics.