§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the average price of(a) wheat, (b) barley and (c) oats per ton in (i) the year preceding the introduction of set-aside and (ii) in each year since. [17150]
§ Mr. BaldryThe cereals marketing year 1 July 1992 to 30 June 1993 saw the marketing of the last—i.e. 1992—harvest prior to the introduction of compulsory set-aside. The average realised price for wheat, barley and oats produced in the UK and marketed during 1992–93 and subsequent years has been as follows:590W
Year1 Average realised price (£ per tonne) Wheat Barley Oats 1992–93 129 126 128 1993–94 107 110 117 1994–95 113 116 98 1 July to June. Source:
MAFF.
§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what forecasts his Department(a) made and (b) evaluated of the prices for (i) barley, (ii) oats and (iii) wheat following the introduction of set-aside. [17151]
§ Mr. BaldryThe introduction of compulsory set-aside was linked to cuts in EU cereal support prices of around 35 per cent.—in ecu terms—over the three-year period 1993–94 to 1995–96. These cuts were expected to result in a broadly comparable fall in market prices. Average prices did indeed fall significantly between 1992–93 and 1993–94 but various external factors, including a rise in world market prices for cereals, meant that this initial fall was not sustained.