HC Deb 23 January 1953 vol 510 c63W
Mr. Hurd

asked the Minister of Food to give for the current year, in tabular form, the description, quantity and price of all home-produced foods, showing the total cost of each item; and also the world price and world cost of each item.

(1) Main Commodities (2) Estimated sales of home produce 1952–3 (3) Estimated average prices of home produce 1952–3 (4) Total cost of home produce (5) Estimated average prices of imported supplies 1952–3 (6) Total cost of home produce (Col. 2) revalued at import prices (Col. 5)
('000 tons) (£ per ton) (£m.) (£ per ton) (£m.)
Crops:
Wheat (millable) 1,300 29.3 38.1 30.5 39.7
Barley 1,214 30.0 36.4 34.2 41.5
Oats 296 23.0 6.8 30.0 8.9
Potatoes (main crop for human consumption) 4,400 11.95 52.6 — —
Sugar (refined) 550 52.8 29.0 54.4 29.9
Carcase Meat:
Beef 570 187.0 106.6 157.8 89.9
Mutton and Lamb 167 264.3 44.1 151.0 25.2
Pork 155 255.2 39.6 271.0 42.0
Bacon 267 373.8 99.8 267.2 71.3
Livestock Products:
Milk 1,824 million galls. 3/2¼d. a gall. 290.7 — —
Shell Eggs (Hen) (packing station purchases). 388,980,000 dozen 4/7d. a doz. 89.1 3/6½d. a doz. 68.9

NOTES:

1. Prices and sales are for April/March, 1952–3, with the exception of cereals and potatoes which are for the crop year, 1952–3. (The tonnages of barley and oats represent sales off the "national farm", i.e., net sales from farms to the non-farming community.)

2. The prices in column (3) are approximate estimates of the average prices recoverable by farmers. The prices in column (5) are approximate estimates of the average landed prices, excluding duty, for imported supplies. But for meat, for the purpose of comparing home and import prices, the prices of both home and imported are the estimated cost at the point of entry to the Wholesale Meat Supply Association depot. It must be stressed, however, that the figures in column (3) are for fresh home produced meat, whilst those in column (5) are for imported frozen meat. The price for home produced bacon is the estimated average cost ex factory.

3. There are no comparable imports of potatoes or milk.

4. All figures in the above table are estimates and therefore subject to revision.