HC Deb 15 March 1985 vol 75 c317W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much rapeseed in the EEC is used for animal feed; what is the cost to EEC funds of using this feed; and if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the total subsidies paid by the EEC on ingredients to animal feed and the total value of the feed produced.

Mr. MacGregor

In 1984, Community production of rapeseed is estimated to have been 2.9 million tonnes, providing about 1.8 million tonnes of rapeseed meal, nearly all of which was incorporated in animal feed. Very little whole rapeseed is used in animal feed. Crushing subsidies of about 417 mecu were paid in 1984 to make Community-produced rapeseed competitive with imported seed but these payments were made in respect of the seed, of which the meal is only a by-product. Crushing subsidies of about 196 mecu and 33 mecu respectively were paid on sunflower seed and soya beans.

The following subsidies are estimated to have been paid by the Community in 1984 on other ingredients of animal feed (in mecu).

mecu
Skimmed milk powder for calves 891
Liquid skimmed milk for calves 125
Skimmed milk powder for animals other than calves 37
Liquid skimmed milk for animals other than calves 414
Intervention skimmed milk powder for animals other than calves *549
Peas and field beans †139
Special sale of intervention wheat for use in animal feed 8
Dried fodder 76
* Costs for this scheme are not yet separately available in the 1984 FEOGA budget estimates. The figure shown is the out-turn for 1983.
† A small part of this expenditure relates to aid for peas and beans for human consumption.

Source: FEOGA Budget estimates.

The total value of feed produced is not known but the value of purchased animal feed in 1983 is estimated at 30,683 million ecu.