§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the market for flax is being made known to potential growers in Britain and Northern Ireland, what research is being conducted in both growing and fibre extraction, and what steps are being taken by Government and private enterprise to install fibre extraction plants so that the acreage of flax can be increased to meet the known demand.
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§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Belstead)Farmers in Northern Ireland are fully aware of the demand for flax and the potential benefits to agriculture in growing this crop. Of the 300 hectares planted with flax in the United Kingdom in 1984, 250 hectares was in Northern Ireland, with the remainder in Scotland. Potential Scottish growers are very aware of the EC flat rate aid (£203.36 a hectare in 1984–85), but production in recent years has mainly been undertaken as part of a feasibility study. Until this is complete and a decision taken on possible Scottish scutching facilities, it is too early to be sure whether flax production in Scotland will again become viable. There is little apparent interest among English growers.
United Kingdom research in flax production is conducted by the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, in conjuction with the Lambeg Industrial Research Association. They have undertaken extensive research into both the growing and retting of flax, which has included the successful development of a chemical spray for retting the crop. The Industrial Development Board (Northern Ireland) has provided significant research and development grant assistance. In Scotland, a three-year feasibility study on flax growing in Tayside begun in 1981, has been commissioned by the Scottish Development Agency, with the support of the Flax and Linen Association and the East of Scotland College of Agriculture. This is due for completion in the next few months.
The Industrial Development Board (Northern Ireland) has assisted a private company to establish a scutching plant in Northern Ireland. Most of the flax grown in 1984 was under contract to this plant and trial scutching of the first of this crop is about to begin. It is possible that 400 hectares will be under contract in 1985. Scutching facilities are also being considered for Arbroath in Scotland, although plans have not yet been finalised.