§ Mr. Moateasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what EEC powers exist and have been exercised with regard to the control of the import of southern hemisphere apples, resulting in the delayed arrival of such imports into the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. WigginThe European Commission has the power to suspend or limit imports of apples from third countries to safeguard the Community market. Such action was taken this year against Chilean apples, whose import was suspended between 25 April and 15 August. In view of the state of the Community market, other southern hemisphere suppliers agreed to limit their exports to the Community during their season. I am not aware that these actions to safeguard Community producers resulted in any delayed arrivals of such imports into the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Moateasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the reasons for the intervention system with regard to apples and pears being applicable only to co-operatives.
§ Mr. WigginThe Community gives grant-aid to encourage the setting up and running of producers' organisations as a contribution to achieving the objectives of the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables. The arrangements for withdrawing from the market certain fruits and vegetables, including apples and pears, by producers' organisations offers an added incentive to producers to market their produce through such groups.
§ Mr. Moateasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received about the marketing of Continental apples at prices below the economic cost of production; 186W what sanctions exist to prevent such practices if proven; and if he has the means to investigate allegations of subsidised interest rates and promotional assistance given to French growers.
§ Mr. WigginWe have received a number of representations on behalf of growers. If any evidence of unfair aids or unfair trading were forthcoming, my right hon. Friend would immediately consider it and, if appropriate, take it up with the European Commission.
§ Mr. Moateasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the current operation of the EEC intervention system with regard to dessert apples, indicating the intervention price and the quantities being taken into intervention, stored or destroyed, in the United Kingdom and separately, in the rest of the EEC.
§ Mr. WigginCommunity support arrangements for fresh fruit and vegetables do not provide for the usual form of intervention buying or storage of produce. Producers' organisations withdrawing produce from the market when prices fall to low pre-determined levels may obtain compensation from Community funds if certain conditions are met. These include disposal through approved outlets—charities and schools and for animal feed—if such outlets can be found. The compensation varies during the season—1 August to 31 May—and according to variety, size and other factors: it currently stands at between about 1p and 3p per lb. Withdrawals of apples notified in the United Kingdom up to 31 October 1979 amounted to 2,310 tonnes, of which 16 tonnes have been used for animal feed and 1,165 tonnes destroyed; the remainder has yet to be accounted for.
Full detailed information on withdrawals of apples in other member States is not available. Provisional withdrawals so far reported to the Commission are: Belgium, 680 tonnes; France, 165 tonnes and the Netherlands, 12,350 tonnes.
§ Mr. Moateasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total tonnage of apples imported into the United Kingdom from France in 1978 compared with the year immediately prior to Great Britain's entry into the EEC.
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§ Mr. Peter WalkerIn 1978, 191,388 tonnes of apples were imported into the United Kingdom from France, compared with 79,444 tonnes in 1972.
§ Mr. Moateasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, from the information available to him, he will publish a table showing the figures for total dessert apple production in each of the EEC countries, for the last convenient period; and if he will state whether the total acreage in France has increased or diminished in recent years.
§ Mr. WigginThe information requested is given below:
EEC Table apple* production, 1976–77 (the latest date for which official statistics are available) '000 tonnes Benelux 237 Denmark 65 France 1,477 Germany 838 Ireland 13 Italy 1,961 Netherlands 380 United Kingdom 331 (197)† Total 5,302 * Member States other than the United Kingdom do not distinguish between eating apples and culinary varieties. † Dessert apples. Total area in France under apples has declined from 74,083 hectares in 1972 to 65,814 hectares in 1977.