§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each of the past 537W 10 years the percentage reduction in the real cost of producing milk as a result of increases in milk yield and in labour productivity compared with the real increase in prices.
§ Mr. MacGregorMilk yield and labour productivity are only two of the many elements which determine the cost of producing milk. Details of annual changes in labour productivity in milk production are not available, but an index of the average United Kingdom milk yield per cow and an index of net producer returns per litre in real terms for the past ten years are as follows.
Index of yield per cow Index of average net returns per litre to producers, deflated by the Retail Price Index 1974 100 100 1975 105 102 1976 109 103 1977 113 97 1978 118 93 1979 118 89 1980 121 84 1981 121 81 1982 126 80 1983 (forecast) 126 77
§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the most recently available figure for the present number of dairy cows in the United Kingdom; if he will estimate what reduction in the number is required to achieve the 7 per cent. reduction in output of milk in 1984; what increase in the yield per cow is expected in 1985 and 1986; and what further reduction in the dairy herd will be required to ensure that production quotas are not exceeded.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe, December 1983 agricultural census indicates that there were 3.146 million dairy cows
United Kingdom cereal yields and prices 1974–83 Wheat Yield Index Barley Yield Index UK Wheat Price (ex farm) Real index of Wheat Price* UK Barley Price (ex farm) Real Index of Barley Price* t/ha t/ha £/t £/t 1974 4.97 100 4.12 100 59.82 100 57.62 100 1975 4.34 87 3.63 88 55.75 75 57.44 80 1976 3.85 77 3.51 85 72.24 83 72.45 87 1977 4.90 99 4.39 107 83.34 83 77.95 81 1978 5.26 106 4.19 102 85.67 79 78.35 75 1979 5.23 105 4.10 100 95.92 78 89.60 75 1980 5.88 118 4.43 108 99.30 68 92.84 66 1981 5.84 118 4.39 107 108.72 67 100.45 64 1982 6.20 125 4.93 120 114.04 65 108.35 64 1983 6.31 127 4.63 112 125.19 68 116.83 66 * Calculated using the Retail Price Index as deflator.