§ Colonel ENGLANDasked the Minister of Agriculture whether if the Agricultural Returns Act does not enable the public to ascertain not merely the acreage of land under sugar beet but the actual profit made by farmers in respect of it, such information can be published, in view of the amount of public money devoted to the support of this industry?
Mr. GUINNESSThe Agricultural Returns Act does not provide for the collection of particulars of the profits or2068W losses made by farmers. Research Monograph No. 3 published by my Department, gives the results of an inquiry conducted by the Oxford Institute for Research in Agricultural Economics into the costs of production, yields and returns of sugar beet on some 34 farms situated in 11 different counties in 1924.
Mr. FOOT MITCHELLasked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the fact that the blue riband of sugar-beet growing for 1925–26 has been won by an Essex farmer, whose crop yielded an average of 17.95 tons per acre, with an average sugar content of 17.9; and whether he can state the net profit on such a crop, after deducting expenses?
Mr. GUINNESSI have noted with particular gratification the achievements of the farmer concerned. He is not an Essex farmer, but grew the beet at Eye, in Suffolk. I have no information which would enable me to answer the last part of the question.