HC Deb 28 April 1981 vol 3 c390W
Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement explaining how the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce disposed of the 45,605 tons of butter which it bought into intervention or withdrew from the market in 1980; what quantity of this total was sold; and what was the average price per pound obtained for these sales.

Mr. Peter Walker

The 45,605 tonnes of butter disposed of by the board in 1980 were put into intervention during the period March 1978 to June 1980: 17,752 tonnes were sold on to the open market, 12,500 tonnes to pastry and ice-cream manufacturers, 5,311 tonnes to non-profit-making organisations, 991 tonnes to the Armed Forces, 70 tonnes for consumption as concentrated butter; 8,981 tonnes were supplied as food aid.

The average price for the quantities sold, which excludes food aid, was just over £1,200 per tonne.