§ Mr. Hardyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what acreage has been planted with potatoes during the current year; and what was the acreage planted and the production obtained in 1974 and 1975.
§ Mr. BishopA firm figure for this year's planting is not yet available, but it is estimated that more than 186,000 hectares have been planted by registered producers in Great Britain. This compares with 189,000 hectares in 1974 and 180,000 hectares in 1975. A further 14,000 hectares should be added to obtain the total Great Britain potato area. Production in 1974 was 6,494,000 tonnes and 4,292,000 tonnes in 1975.