§ Mr. Colin Shepherdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will announce the support arrangements to apply for the 1983 potato crop.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe Government have decided that the guaranteed price for the 1983 potato crop should remain at the existing level of £44.64/ton (£43.94/tonne).
In order to ensure stability in the market throughout the season, the Potato Marketing Board has again been asked to offer producers a contract for a proportion of their crop. The aim will be to place under contract up to 600,000 tonnes of potatoes so that they can be removed from the market in Great Britain, should this prove necessary. The prices offered will be increased by an average of £2 per tonne over the 1982 contract price, so creating a differential of £7 per tonne on average above the guaranteed price. In determining the contract price for each delivery period, the Potato Marketing Board will be asked to take account of the pattern of commercial contracting, and to give an incentive to longer term storage under proper conditions.
Consideration will be given to the need for market support to Northern Ireland as necessary.