92. Mr. H. D. Hughesasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the minimum price per ton paid to the producers of vegetable oils and oilseeds in West Africa in 1932, 1938, 1948 and the current year; and the comparable world market price in each case.
Mr. Creech JonesThe following is the information required in respect of the major oilseeds and vegetable oils in Nigeria, the Colony in West Africa with the largest production. Before the war these commodities were dealt with on the open market, and the prices sometimes varied from day to day. The minimum prices paid to producers before the war, quoted below, are the lowest monthly average prices naked ex scale. 297W The minimum prices in the post-war period are the prices paid by the West African Produce Control Board which vary much less frequently. Accordingly, the table below shows for groundnuts under 1948 the 1947–48 crop price fixed in the middle of 1947, and under 1949 the 1948–49 crop price fixed in the middle of 1948. For palm kernels and palm oil, it shows under 1948 the prices paid from January up to 12th March, 1948, and under 1949 the prices paid from that date to 28th January, 1949, when
MINIMUM PRICES PAID TO PRODUCERS (naked ex scale) — 1932 1938 1948 1949 £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Groundnuts (at railway line buying station) … 5 12 6 3 0 0 16 0 0 19 4 0 Palm kernels (at port of shipment) … 6 2 0 4 12 0 16 15 0 21 0 0 Palm oil (softs) (at bulk oil plant) … 7 0 0 5 2 0 25 2 6 31 12 [...]
WORLD MARKET PRICES — 1932 (c.i.f.) 1938 (c.i.f.) 1948 (c. & f.) 1949 (c. & f.) £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. Groundnuts … … … … … 13 0 0 9 17 6 45 0 0 55 0 0 Palm kernels … … … … … 10 0 0 8 12 6 35 0 0 50 0 0 Palm oil … … … … … 14 2 6 12 17 6 45 0 0 75 0 0