§ Mr. Robert Hughesasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the scale and cost of the destruction of fruit and vegetables brought into intervention in the European Economic Community in the last year for which figures are available.
§ Mrs. FennerThe European Commission estimates that produce withdrawn from the market in 1981–82 and not used for consumption (and which could therefore be regarded as destroyed) represented about 2.3 per cent. of Community production of fruit and vegetables covered by the intervention system and about 1.15 per cent. of the Community's output of all fruit and vegetables. The total cost of compensation paid for withdrawal of fruit and vegetables under the intervention system was 138.9 mecus (about £86 million). No estimate is available of the amount attributable to produce which was destroyed.
§ Mr. Robert Hughesasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the figures of the 334W quantity taken into intervention, and the proportion of that quantity spoilt or destroyed in the European Economic Community, for each of the following commodities: (a) cauliflowers, (b) tomatoes, (c) peaches, (d) pears, (e) apples, (f) mandarin oranges, (g) oranges and (h) lemons in the latest year for which figures are available.
§ Mrs. FennerThe figures for the crop year 1981–82, the latest for which comprehensive information is available, are as follows:
Commodity Amount withdrawn under intervention system ('000 tonnes) *Percentage assumed to be spoilt or destroyed Cauliflowers 12 56 Tomatoes 56 76 Peaches 344 79 Pears 121 26 Apples 54 50 Mandarin Oranges 82 75 Oranges 73 4 Lemons 70 50 Note: * Defined as produce not disposed of to one of the outlets provided for in the Community rules, such as charitable organisations or animal feed. Source: Commission of the European Communities: document COM(84)34 Final.