§ Mr. Peter Freemanasked the Minister of Food the total weight and value of food imported as feedingstuffs for animals in 1952; and what proportion this bears to the total quantity consumed.
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§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThe total weight and value of food imported as feeding-stuffs for animals in 1952 was:
— '000 tons £ million c.i.f. Feed grain 2,729 101.8 Oilcakes and meals 324 10.8 Molasses 81 1.0 Other 311 9.7 3,445 123.3 The above figures include feed grain used for human food and industrial purposes, but exclude wheat used for animal feeding; they also exclude residues for animal feeding derived from processing imported wheat, oilseeds and other foodstuffs for human and industrial consumption.
As regards the second part of the Question, it is not possible to make a reliable estimate of the total quantity of feedingstuffs consumed. The total quantity of rationed animal feedingstuffs distributed in the United Kingdom in 1952 was 5,360,000 tons, of which 3,093,000 tons, representing 57.7 per cent., was imported as feedingstuffs. These figures exclude, however, home-grown grains retained on farms by growers, sugar beet pulp returned to growers of sugar beet, and supplies of grass, hay, straw, roots, chat potatoes, kale and similar crops which have not been controlled in distribution.