§ 99. Mr. Willeyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the details of the fall in market prices and variations in the quantities of cereals which have made necessary the provision of an additional £8,600,000 to implement the price guarantees on cereals.
§ Mr. GodberThe following is the information:
CEREAL DEFICIENCY PAYMENTS (ENGLAND AND WALES AND NORTHERN IRELAND)
Financial Year 1958–59
Wheat. For wheat of the 1957 crop qualifying for deficiency payment in the current financial year the average price was approximately 3d. per cwt. less than estimated and for wheat of the 1958 crop approximately 1d. per cwt. more than estimated. The quantity of wheat of the 1957 crop qualifying was approximately 104,000 tons more than estimated and for the 1958 crop approximately 150,000 tons above the estimate.
Rye. The only deficiency payments made relate to the 1957 crop. The average price was approximately 1s. 3½d. per cwt. less than estimated and the quantity sold approximately 600 tons more
Barley. Deficiency payments are on an acreage basis. For the 1957 crop the average price was approximately 2¾d. per cwt. less than estimated and the eligible acreage approximately 50,000 acres in excess of the estimate. For the 1958 crop the price is expected to be 1s. 6d. per cwt. less than estimated and the eligible acreage approximately 50,000 acres in excess of the original estimate.
Oats and Mixed Corn. Deficiency payments are on an acreage basis. The price of oats for the 1957 crop was approximately 2¼d. per cwt. less than estimated—there was no appreciable variation in the acreage eligible for deficiency payment (including the acreage of mixed corn which qualifies for the same rate of deficiency payments as oats). For the 1958 crop the price of oats is expected to be about 1s. per cwt. less than was originally estimated and the eligible acreage (including mixed corn) is expected to be about 200,000 acres less than originally estimated.