§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his reply dated 5 March, Official Report columns 437–39, concerning financial support for the growing of field beans, whether he will provide the same information for dried peas, together with details in each case of the minimum producer price and the amount of the subsidy per ton for home supply and export to third countries.
§ Mr. MacGregorA Community aid is paid on dried peas used both for animal feed and for human consumption, provided a minimum producer price has been paid—currently £180.59 per tonne. No separate Community expenditure figures for peas are available; provisional forecasts of Community expenditure in 1983 on dried peas and beans was 84.6 mecu—£50 million—of which £11 million was spent in the United Kingdom. The rates of aid, which very with world prices, are currently
Animal feed peas—£70.89; human consumption—£33.65These rates of aid are paid on peas produced and processed in the Community regardless of the destination of the final product. Dried peas are used in the United Kingdom for animal feed and for human consumption. In 1983 production was 142,140 tonnes, valued at £27 million. Exports to other member states were 6,388 tonnes valued at £1.9 million and exports to third countries were 16,362 tonnes valued at £5.3 million.