§ Mr. Raphael Tuckasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the existing guaranteed price arrangements for potatoes will apply to the 1978–79 crop; and whether he can give guidance to producers on plantings.
§ Mr. John SilkinThere are still a number of uncertainties concerning the arrangements for the 1978–79 crop. In particular, it is difficult to predict the speed of progress towards a common414W regime for potatoes and to know whether our traditional ban on imports of main-crop potatoes will apply should there be a surplus in the United Kingdom. The Government are therefore discussing with the producer interests the best approach to marketing and support arrangements for the coming crop and especially whether it would be possible to operate for that crop the new stabilisation and insurance system which the National Farmers' Unions and the Potato Marketing Board have suggested as the only reasonable alternative for the longer term in the new circumstances. Producers will recognise that this system, if implemented, would give a reduced degree of support for the crop.
The prudent course for potato producers in determining their plantings for 1978 is to have regard to the target area announced by the Potato Marketing Board, which is 13 per cent. below the 1977 planted area, and thus aim to avoid the problems which a heavy surplus can present.