§ Mr. Lennox-Boydasked the Minister of Food what was the average c.i.f. price of imported wheat during 1948 for Australia, Canada, the Argentine and any other source; and how this compares with the United Kingdom price.
§ Mr. StracheyThe average c.i.f. cost prices of wheat imported into the United Kingdom during 1948 from the three countries mentioned were approximately: Australia, £29 9s. 6d. per ton; Canada, £19 19s. per ton; Argentine, £34 5s. 9d. per ton. A small quantity of wheat was imported from Eire during 1948, at an average c.i.f. cost of £20 7s. per ton, in exchange for home-grown seed wheat. The weighted average c.i.f. cost to the Ministry of all United Kingdom arrivals of wheat during 1948 is £22 0s. 4d. per ton. The fixed prices of home-grown mill-able wheat on a sale by a grower ranged as follow:
1947 crop: from 19s. 1d. per cwt. (£19 1s. 8d. per ton) ex farm in January, 1948, to 20s. 3d. per cwt. (£20 5s. per ton) ex farm in July, 1948.
28W1948 crop: from 21s. 9d. per cwt. (£21 15s. per ton) ex farm in August, 1948 to 22s. 11d. per cwt. (£22 18s. 4d. per ton) ex farm in December. 1948.
Farmers in the United Kingdom received in additon acreage payments on account of wheat on the following scale: 1947 crop, £2 per acre; 1948 crop, £1 10s. for each half acre (minimum one acre) up to a maximum of 10 acres.