§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what subsidies were paid in each of the last three years to the Potato Marketing Board in order to finance the mass buying of potato crops;
(2) what proportion of the annual potato crop in each of the last three years has remained unsold when the new years' crop became available.
§ Mr. BishopNo significant quantity of potatoes remained unsold at the end of the 1972 and 1974 crop seasons, and 501W the Potato Marketing Board did not undertake buying operations for those crops. Towards the end of the 1973 season a special buying programme was introduced under which the Potato Marketing Board purchased some 183,000 tons of potatoes in Great Britain. The Exchequer contributed approximately £490,000 towards the cost of this buying programme by the Board.
§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what shortfall below estimated requirements he anticipates in the next potato crop.
§ Mr. BishopThe development of the current—1975—crop was adversely affected by the hot dry summer and yields are estimated at about one-quarter less than last year. This is expected to result in the supplies available for consumption from the United Kingdom crop being about 1½ million tons lower than in 1974. In view of the shortfall the Government has banned exports and lifted the normal ban on imports, and the Potato Marketing Board has relaxed the usual riddle sizes. It is too early to assess the prospects for the 1976 crop.