§ Sir T. Mooreasked the Minister of Agriculture whether, before putting in hand plans for the erection of factories for converting potatoes into cattle food, he will indicate what arrangements are to be made to provide that sufficient potatoes will be grown in this country to ensure that a surplus does materialise after full allowance for wastage of various kinds; and whether he will indicate to what extent a surplus, or deficiency, of potatoes may be said to have existed in this country during each of the past 10 years?
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithAs stated by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Food, on 13th December last, it is part of the Government's home food production campaign to secure a substantial increase in the acreage planted to potatoes this year, and for that purpose the arrangements with regard to minimum prices are designed to secure a fair and remunerative return to growers. It is not possible at the present juncture to give any indication of the acreage which will be planted to potatoes this year, much less to estimate the probable yield of the crop, which will depend largely on weather conditions.
As regards the last part of the Question, I have no precise information as to the quantity of potatoes in any year which has been used for stock feeding, and manufacture, after the requirements of the market for human consumption have been met, but I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a statement of the annual supply of potatoes during the last 10 years, from which he will see that production has varied appreciably from one year to another.