§ Mr. Hoosonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the decrease in the number of wool producers in the course of the past year; and to what factors he attributes this decrease.
§ Mr. HoyThe number of registered wool producers in the United Kingdom94W fell by 7,209—about 6 per cent.—in the year ended 21st June, 1969. To some extent this reflects the displacement of flocks in some parts of the country by other livestock and cereals and the continuing reduction in the total number of separate agricultural holdings. However, as with other types of farm enterprise, there has also been a tendency over recent years for production to become concentrated on a smaller number of farms, but with a steadily increasing average size of flock.