§ Colonel Ponsonbyasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what amount was expended in the purchase of maize from non-Empire sources in 1946 and 1947 for the following territories; Bechuanaland, Northern Rhodesia, Nyasaland, Kenya. Tanganyika and Uganda.
Mr. Creech JonesNorthern Rhodesia spent £21,400 in 1946 and £142,000 in 1947 on the purchase of maize and maize meal from the Congo, together with £50,400 in 1947 on maize from the Argentine. No maize was bought directly from non-Empire sources by any of the other territories mentioned, but the East African Cereals Pool received 67,900 bags of Argentine maize from South Africa in 1947. These were later replaced by a similar quantity of East African maize supplied to Southern Rhodesia at the request of the Union Government. I am informed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations that no individual purchases were made from non-Empire sources for Bechuanaland during these two years, but that130W owing to poor crops in South Africa, a proportion of the maize which the Union sold to Bechuanaland consisted of Argentine maize.