HC Deb 17 March 1930 vol 236 cc1728-9W
Sir B. EYRES MONSELL

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can form any estimate of the total imports from foreign countries of fresh cherries, of fresh plums and of fresh pears into Great Britain in 1929; whether he can state in respect of each commodity what relation the imports bear to the home production; at what dates the imports and home production in bulk, respectively, reached the home market; and what were the average prices ruling at these dates?

Mr. N. BUXTON

The following statements show:

(a) The home production in Great Britain in 1929 and the imports from foreign countries of cherries, plums and pears, together with the percentage of the total supply represented by home production, and

A.
Year 1929. Cherries. Plums. Pears.
Thousand cwt. Thousand cwt. Thousand cwt.
Home Production* 296 1,215 612†
Imports from Foreign Countries. ‡ 144 480 959
Total 440 1,695 1,571
Per cent. Per cent. Per cent.
Percentage of Home Production to the above total. 67.3 71.7 39.0
* Production in England and Wales only. The latest figures for Scotland relate to 1925, and the production in that year was estimated as follows:
Cherries … … … … … 350 cwt.
Plums … … … … … 3,150 cwt.
Pears … … … … … 1,085 cwt.
† Including 19,000 cwt. of Perry pears.
‡ Gross imports into the United Kingdom. Imports into Northern Ireland are insignificant.

B.
Year 1929. Cherries. Plums. Pears.
Imports from Foreign Countries.
Approximate date on which supplies began to reach the British markets in bulk. End of May. 2nd quarter of July. Early August.
Approximate average prices (per cwt.) at above dates. 1st quality 69s. 1st quality 52s. 1st quality 45s.
2nd " 46s. 6d. 2nd " 43s. 6d. 2nd " 26s. 6d.
Home Production.
Approximate date on which supplies began to reach the British markets in bulk. Beginning of July. Early August. End of September.
White varieties.
Approximate average prices (per cwt.) at above dates. 1st quality 52s. 6d. 1st quality 32s. 6d 1st quality 29s.
2nd " 41s. 6d. 2nd " 26s. 6d. 2nd " 19s.
Black varieties.
1st quality 65s. 6d.
2nd " 47s. 6d.