HC Deb 10 November 1975 vol 899 cc498-9W
Mr. Hooley

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list in the Official Report the EEC price and the world price in September 1975 of husked rice, barley, maize, white sugar, beef, pigmeat, eggs, butter, skimmed milk powder, olive oil, common wheat and durum wheat, expressed in sterling at the exchange rate value of 30th September 1975.

Mr. Bishop

There is no easily identifiable basis for measuring world prices, and comparisons of prices of foodstuffs from different sources are made difficult by differences in quality, grading, presentation of products and stage of marketing. Subject to these reservations, the latest available comparison of prices of the products listed, imported into the

AVERAGE UNIT VALUES OFUNITED KINGDOM IMPORTS OF CERTAIN COMMODITIES—SEPTEMBER1975
Commodity EEC Countries Non-EEC Countries
£per ton c. i. f. £per ton c. i. f.
Husked rice, long grained Netherlands† 176.53 USA 198.17
Argentina 170.18
Barley Denmark 61.63 None from non-EEC sources.
West Germany 62.51
Maize France 65.00 USA 64.24
South Africa 62.14
White sugar France 205.91 None from non-EEC sources.
Irish Republic 232.94
Beef No reliable comparisons possible due to restrictions on imports from most non-EEC countries.
Pigmeat—bacon sides Denmark 709.67 Sweden 793.78
Irish Republic 769.46 Poland 755.00
Eggs France 393.64 None from non-EEC sources.
Butter Netherlands 899.63 New Zealand* 495.00
Denmark 872.09
Skimmed milk powder Irish Republic 484.03 None from non-EEC sources.
Olive oil France 1,030.69 Spain 789.64
Common wheat France (soft) 68.60 USA (hard) 104.61
Canada (hard 112.30
Durum wheat Netherlands† 110.83 None from non-EEC sources.
* Special minimum import price.
† Not Dutch production—probably transhipments.

Sources:

Overseas Trade Statisticsof United Kingdom.

Customs and ExciseTabulation Sheets.