§ Mr. Spearingasked the Minister of Overseas Development if she has made any estimate of the world food grain gap; if she accepts the estimates made at the World Food Conference; and what action she contemplates to meet the expected consequences.
§ Mrs. HartThe International Wheat Council estimates that the world wheat supply-demand situation will be roughly in balance although some drawing down of stocks in exporting countries may be necessary. The coarse grains situation is tighter but similar. The FAO is looking at ways of ensuring that acute shortages in the least developed countries are avoided. The estimate made at the World Food Conference suggests that over the next decade the cereals deficit of506W the developing countries could rise to about 85 million tons. Even if there is little risk of a global shortage of food by 1985 there will undoubtedly be a severe problem of distribution and food deficits particularly in South Asia and parts of Africa.
The Government therefore supported the proposals made at the World Food Conference for (a) stimulating increased food production in the developing countries themselves; (b) the proposed new agriculture development fund; and (c) instituting a global system of grain stocks combined with an information and early warning system.
Progress towards the conference's proposed annual target of at least 10 million tons of grain as food aid will also have a role to play.