HC Deb 27 March 1975 vol 889 cc305-8W
Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will compare the price received by British growers for soft wheat with the price received by French growers and German growers.

Mr. Bishop:

The Home-Grown Cereals Authority publishes weekly prices for soft milling wheat. For the United Kingdom these are average spot prices for homegrown grain shown on an ex-farm basis.

SOFT MILLING WHEAT
UK Rouen Hamburg
HGCA publication date £ per long ton France per metric £ per long tonne DM per metric tonne £ per long ton
19th August 1974 … … … … 59.70 682.50 61.58 411.50 67.98
23rd September 1974 … … … … 58.30 676.11 61.72 416.00 68.61
21st October 1974 … … … … 61.30 704.72 64.62 442.50 74.43
18th November 1974 … … … … 63.85 714.58 66.55 435.00 74.28
9th December 1974 … … … … 64.20 715.69 67.45 437.50 76.77
20th January 1975 … … … … 62.35 688.05 67.47 437.50 79.10
17th February 1975 … … … … 52.15 686.66 67.60 441.00 79.87
17th March 1975 … … … … 48.25 685.27 68.53 447.00 81.24

Kingdom for each of the years 1972, 1973 and 1974; and if he will compare these figures with those for the EEC countries.

Mr. Bishop:

Information on United Kingdom home production expressed as a percentage of total new supplies is given below. Broadly comparable figures for the nine member countries of the EEC have been derived from data published in the Commission's 1974 Annual Report on the Agricultural Situation in the EEC. EEC information for 1974–75 has not yet been published.

Following is the information:

Prices for French and German grain are quoted in national currencies, and in sterling converted at spot rates as delivered prices to selected market centres. It is not possible therefore to make exact comparisons, which in any event will be affected by differing grain qualities, exchange rates, transport costs and local market conditions.

Prices recorded each month during the present cereals marketing year have been as follows:

Mr. Jay

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the minimum price for wheat, barley and oats in 1960, and in each of the years 1970 to 1974, inclusive.

Mr. Bishop:

On the assumption that my right hon. Friend is referring to the guaranteed prices for the cereal years 1960–61 and 1970–71 to 1974–75 inclusive, I have listed these in my reply to his Question about guaranteed prices today.

TABLE 1
UNITED KINGDOM GUARANTEED PRICES AS DETERMINED AT THE ANNUAL REVIEWS IN THE FIRST OF THE

YEARS SHOWN VIZ. 1960 AR, 1961 AR ETC.
1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64
s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d.
Fat Cattle (per live cwt.) … … 157 0 167 0 167 0 167 0
Fat Sheep and Lamb (per lb. edcw) … … 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 2
Fat Pigs§ (per score d'wt.) … … 45 10 43 7 46 9 44 11
Eggs—Hen (per dozen) … … 3 8.63 3 8.63 3 9.79 3 8.53
Eggs—Duck (per dozen) … … 2 3.06 2 3.06 2 5.72 2 4.46
Wool (per lb.) … … 4 5¼ 4 5¼ 4 5¼ 4 5¼
Milk (average per gallon) … … 3 1..45 3 2£ 3 1.85 3 2.35
Wheat (per cwt.) … … 26 11 26 11 26 11 26 6
Barley (per cwt.) … … 28 9 27 7 27 7 26 8
Oats (per cwt.) … … 27 2 27 5 27 5 27 5
Rye (per cwt.) … … 21 7 21 7 21 7 21 7
Potatoes (per ton) … … 260 0 265 0 265 0 275 0
Sugar Beet (per ton) … … 128 0 128 0 128 0 124 8
1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68
s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d.
Fat Cattle (per live cwt.) … … 170 0 174 0 184 0 189 0
Fat Sheep and Lamb (per lb. edcw) … … 3 2 3 2 3 2¾ 3 3¾
Fat Pigs§ (per score d'wt.) … … 46 1 44 9 45 3 45 11
Eggs—Hen (per dozen) … … 3 8.86 3 8.36 3 6.76 3 6.51
Eggs—Duck (per dozen) … … 2 5.79 2 6.29 2 6.29 2 5.59
Wool (per lb.) … … 4 7¼ 4 7¼ 4 5¼ 4 5¼
Milk (average per gallon) … … 3 4.85 3 5.85 3 6.35 3 7.66
Wheat (per cwt.) … … 26 6 25 5 25 5 25 11
Barley (per cwt.) … … 26 8 25 4 25 4 24 9
Oats (per cwt.) … … 27 5 27 5 27 5 27 5
Rye (per cwt.) … … 21 7 21 7 21 7 21 7
Potatoes (per ton) … … 280 0 285 0 290 0 290 0
Sugar Beet (per ton) … … 128 0 130 6 130 0 133 0
1968–69 1969–70 1970–71* 1971–72
s. d. s. d. s. d. £p
Fat Cattle (per live cwt.) … … 200 0 215 0 232 6 12.35
Fat Sheep and Lamb (per lb. edcw) … … 3 6¼ 3 7¼ 4 0¼ 22.3
Fat Pigs§ (per score d'wt.) … … 47 2 48 5 50 11 2.93
Eggs—Hen (per dozen) … … 3 6.26 3 6.07 3 4.64 16.5
Eggs—Duck (per dozen) … … 2 4.45 2 5.07 2 2.76 15.5
Wool (per lb.) … … 4 5¼ 4 5¼ 4 5¼ 22.7
Milk (average per gallon) … … 3 8.86 3 9.26 4 1¼ 22.1
Wheat (per cwt.) … … 27 5 29 0 31 3 1.63
Barley (per cwt.) … … 25 2 26 0 28 0 1.45
Oats (per cwt.) … … 27 10 27 10 27 10 1.44
Rye (per cwt.) … … 21 7 21 7 21 7 1.08
Potatoes (per ton) … … 297 0 302 6 317 6 16.55
Sugar Beet (per ton) … … 136 6 136 6 139 6 7.60