Surplus Food and Drink

HC Deb 17 November 1987 vol 122 c527W

Mr. Canavan

To ask the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total volume and value of surplus food and drink in the EEC and the cost of storage.

Mr. MacGregor

The table sets out the quantities and book value of commodities in structural surplus held in public intervention stores in the EC at the end of September:

	Quantity ('000 tonnes)	Value (mecu)
Cereals	12,960	2,597
Sugar	0	0
Olive oil	216	303
Wine alcohol	142	4
Butter 2	1,037	3,185
SMP2	739	1,216
Beef	625	1,753
1 Million hectolibres.
2 Situation at 31 August 1987.

Source: EC Commission.

For the commodities listed above, the 1987 EC budget provides for expenditure of 1,245 mecu (£871 million) on the costs of handling and storing stocks in public intervention, including the financing costs of holding the stocks.