HC Deb 19 March 1984 vol 56 cc356-7W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for the years 1978 to 1983 (a) the price per tonne of live sheepmeat at the farm gate, (b) the wholesale price of home-produced and New Zealand sheepmeat, (c) the landed price of sheepmeat imported from New Zealand and the Irish Republic,

Sheepmeat
United Kingdom 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983
Average market price £/tonne (1) *1,374 *1,392 *1,257 *1,533 1,527 *1,465
Wholesale price £/tonne (2) 1,730 ‡ ║1,829
Home produced 1,250 1,343 1,318 1,583 1,642 1,638
New Zealand 1,128 1,100 1,199 1,340 1,345 1,265
Landed price £/tonne (3)
Irish Republic 950 996 1,153 1,000 1,830 1,486
New Zealand 962 992 1,057 1,180 1,231 1,213
Retail Price Index (4) 1974=100
Mutton and Lamb 185 204 212 235 259 245
All items excluding foodstuffs 195 222 266 300 326 342
Consumption per head of mutton and lamb 5 kgs/per person/per year 7.0 7.1 7.5 6.7 7.3 N/A
* UK average market price (estimated dressed carcase weight prices at live weight auctions) for animals certified under the Fat Sheep Guarantee Scheme and (from 20.10.80) the Sheep Variable Premium Scheme.
Great Britain average market price on same basis as *.
Northern Ireland average market price (estimated dressed carcase weight prices recorded at the four auction markets used for EC price reporting purposes)
Forecasts.
Imports from Ireland to which these figures relate are of very small quantities.
Including an allowance for 20 per cent, tariff until October 1980, thereafter 10 per cent, tariff.

Sources: (1) Annual Review of Agriculture. (2) Smithfield prices (English Medium and New Zealand PL&PM grades). (3) UK Trade Statistics. (4) Retail Price Index. Department of Employment. (5) Annual abstracts of Statistics 1984.