HC Deb 16 July 1931 vol 255 cc803-5W
Sir B. EYRES MONSELL

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can form any estimte of the total imports from foreign countries of fresh cherries, of fresh plums, and of fresh pears into Great Britain in 1930; whether he can state, in respect of each commodity,

(a) the home production in Great Britain in 1930 and the imports from foreign countries of cherries, plums and pears, together with the percentage of the total supply represented by home production, and
(b) the approximate dates on which supplies of these imports and the home produce first reached the British markets in bulk, together with the approximate average prices realised at those dates. I must, however, point out that the prices given for foreign imports and home produce are not necessarily comparable as they do not always relate to the same varieties.
A.
Year 1930. Cherries. Plums. Pears.
Thousand Cwts. Thousand Cwts. Thousand Cwts.
Home Production* 405 2,427 416‡
Imports from Foreign Countries† 60 353 708
Total 465 2,780 1,124
Per cent. Per cent. Per cent.
Percentage of Home Production to the above Total. 87.1 87.3 37.0
* Production in England and Wales only. The latest figures for Scotland relate to 1925, and the production in that year was estimated to be as follows:

Cwt.
Cherries … … … … … … … … … 350
Plums … … … … … … … … … 3,150
Pears … … … … … … … … … 1,085
† Including 47,000 cwt. of Perry pears.
‡ Gross Imports into the United Kingdom. Imports into Northern Ireland, however, are insignificant.

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?

Dr. ADDISON

The following statements show:

B.
Year, 1930. 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 84s. 6d. 1st Quality 40s. 0d. 1st Quality 10s. 6d.
2nd Quality 63s. 6d. 2nd Quality 29s. 6d. 2nd Quality 7s. 6d.
Home Production.
Approximate date on which supplies began to reach the British markets in bulk. Beginning of July. Early August End of September.
Approximate average prices (per cwt.) at above dates. White varieties: 1st Quality 67s. 0d. 1st Quality 17s. 0d. 1st Quality 25s. 0d.
2nd Quality 50s. 6d. 2nd Quality 12s. 0d. 2nd Quality 17s. 0d.
Black varieties: 1st Quality 60s. 6d.
2nd Quality 54s. 0d.