§ 61. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the average price paid to the producer for milk, eggs, apples, pears and green vegetables in the latest month for which figures are available, and the prices paid by the consumer.
§ Mr. HoyFor apples, pears and green vegetables it is not possible to give any producer or consumer prices to enable a meaningful comparison to be made. For milk and eggs such details as are available are as follows, but I should emphasise that strictly comparable figures for retail and producer prices cannot be given.
Milk
Producer prices of milk range on a seasonal scale and there are varying adjustments. The average price received by producers (the pool price) is an 422W average for all sales of milk through the Milk Marketing Boards. The basic pool price for each Marketing Board area for February, 1970, was as follows:
Per gallon England and Wales … … 44.57d. Northern Ireland … … 41.08d. Scottish … … 48.00d. Aberdeen and District … … 46.00d. North of Scotland: Mainland … … 44.50d. Orkneys … … 45.00d. The retail price of ordinary milk in the same month was 11d. per pint.
Eggs
The average price paid to producers by the British Egg Marketing Board in February, 1970, for first quality hen eggs was 36¾d. per dozen. It is believed that sales away from the Board may have fetched a rather higher price.
The average retail prices of eggs on 17th February, 1970, were as follows:
Per dozen Large … … … … 56d. Standard … … … … 50d. Medium … … … … 45d.