§ Mr. Temple-Morrisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what action he is taking to ensure the 381W implementation of purchase of the guaranteed price which he has set on potatoes;
(2) when he will cause the Potato Marketing Board to commence a buying programme based on the price which he has guaranteed for potatoes.
§ Mr. BishopI have already given an assurance that the guaranteed price for potatoes—£46.50 per ton: £45.77 per tonne—will be fulfilled for the 1977 crop as a whole. The guarantee is normally implemented by a support buying programme to lift the average price. If the average market price for the season as a whole does not reach the guarantee, the Exchequer makes a deficiency payment to the Potato Marketing Board. A buying programme has already been undertaken by the Board, with Government approval, and ½ million tonnes of potatoes have been offered to the Board. This quantity exceeds any small surplus indicated by current estimates. I hope that growers will respond to this action. We shall, of course, keep the situation under review.