§ 36. Mr. Hoyleasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to reduce the price of wheat in view of the wheat surplus in the EEC.
485W
§ Mr. Bishop:Market prices for wheat have fallen substantially since the turn of the year. We have already secured that the 1975–76 Community prices are brought down in real terms to the levels required to meet the needs of efficient producers.
§ 37. Mr. Ron Thomasasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has of the quantity of surplus wheat which the EEC will have at the end of the current crop year.
§ Mr. Bishop:It is too early to predict what, if any, surplus of wheat may remain over and above normal carry-over stocks at the end of the current crop year. The latter are currently estimated at about 5.6 million metric tons, which is about the same as on 1st July 1974.