Livestock Units (Expenditure) (Hansard, 2 May 1985)

§ Mr. MacGregor

Expenditure in 1984–85 on market regulation under the CAP is summarised by principal commodity in table 28 of the "Annual Review of Agriculture 1985" (Cmnd. 9423). Against total forecast expenditure of £1,424.1 million the Community budget was expected to contribute £1,087.1 million as follows:

	£ million
Cereals	194.4
Beef and veal	^*228.4
Pigmeat	−10.1
Sugar	63.1
Processed products	32.9
Milk products	†293.2
Oilseeds	54.6
Sheepmeat	‡200.6
Others	30.0

Notes:

^* Including the suckler cow premiums scheme.

† Including the premium schemes for the non-marketing of milk and the conversion of dairy herds.

‡ Including annual premium on ewes.

Details of crop areas and livestock numbers are given in table 3 of Cmnd. 9423.

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	Average of 1973–75	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984 (provisional)
Total sheep and lambs of which	28,323	31,446	(k)32,097	(k)33,067	34,069	35,016
Ewes	11,162	12,178	(k)12,528	(k)12,909	13,310	13,702
Shearlings	2,633	2,745	2,743	2,871	2,933	2,914
Total pigs of which	8,372	7,815	7,828	8,023	8,174	7,744
Sows in pig and other sows for breeding	787	722	725	742	746	703
Gilts in pig	123	109	112	122	110	107
Total poultry of which	140,752	135,105	132,286	135,363	128,260	128,493
Table fowls (including broilers)	57,279	59,917	57,830	60,075	58,887	59,658
Laying fowls	50,847	46,012	44,473	44,792	41,518	41,138
Growing pullets	18,724	14,457	14,219	14,766	12,079	12,399

(a) The data in this table vary between the different countries as follows:—

England and Wales: For all years the figures relate to all known agricultural holdings including minor holdings (previously called statistically insignificant holdings).

Scotland: From 1973 the figures relate to all known agricultural holdings with 40 smd or more. (A standard man-day (smd) represents 8 hours' productive work by an adult worker under average conditions.) Prior to June 1977 following the 1976 minor holding census 1,700 holdings were transferred fom the main to the minor category.

Northern Ireland: From 1973 to 1980 the figures relate to all known agricultural holdings with (i) 40 smd or more, or (ii) 4 hectares or more of total area, or (iii) one or more full-time workers, excluding the owner. The figures for 1981 onwards relate to all known holdings with: (i) one European Size Unit (ESU) or more, or (ii) 6 hectares or more of total area, or (iii) one or more full-time workers, excluding the owner. (A European Size Unit equals 1,000 European Units of Account of standard gross margin at average 1972–74 values.) The change between 1980 and 1981 resulted in the net deletion of 7,000 holdings but their exclusion has had an insignificant effect on the cropping and stocking figures.

(b) Cereals for threshing, exluding maize.

(d) Includes small area of soft fruit grown under orchard trees in England and Wales.

(e) Hardy nursery stock, bulbs and flowers.

(f) Most of the difference between total horticultural area and the sum of individual sectors is made up by the glasshouse area.

(g) Includes area of other crops and bare fallow not shown in the table.

(h) Before 1975 collected as:

In England and Wales—"clover, sainfoin and temporary grasses";

In Scotland—"grass under 7 years old";

In Northern Ireland—"grass 1st, 2nd and 3rd year".

(i) Before 1975 collected as:

In England and Wales—"permanent grass";

In Scotland—"grass 7 years old and over";

In Northern Ireland—"grass 4th year or older".

(j) In June 1973 "other land" in Great Britain was collected as woodland and areas under roads, yards, buildings, etc., the use of which was ancillary to farming of the land; in Northern Ireland it included land within agricultural holdings which was under bog, water, roads, buildings, etc., and waste land not used for agriculture. In June 1974 the definition was changed in England and Wales to include all other land forming part of the holding and in Scotland it was extended to include ponds and derelict land. The Northern Ireland definition is unchanged.

(k) Small adjustments made retrospectively following the 1983 census of minor holdings in England.

Public expenditure under the CAP and on national grants and subsidies (a)
April—March (financial years)	£ million
	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85 (forecast)
I Market regulation under the CAP
(i) Expenditure by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce (b)
Cereals	157.2	242.7	337.2	120.8	357.8
Beef and veal	131.6	41.8	93.8	263.9	322.5
Pigmeat	−16.7	−33.0	−39.8	−14.8	−10.1
Sugar	21.3	35.6	60.6	53.2	63.1
Processed products	16.7	16.7	27.4	28.3	32.9
Milk products	187.0	168.8	342.5	561.3	333.0
Oilseeds	50.6	51.2	76.3	87.2	54.6
Sheepmeat	42.3	72.2	126.1	158.3	123.1
Others (c)	13.2	16.4	19.4	21.0	29.2
Total (i)	603.2	612.4	1,043.5	1,279.2	1,306.1
(ii) Expenditure by the Agriculture Departments
Milk Non-Marketing Premiums	30.5	21.2	17.8	13.3	12.7
Suckler Cow Premium Scheme	14.6	16.9	16.4	15.7	27.8
Annual Premium on Ewes	—	28.1	21.4	66.3	77.5
Total (ii)	45.1	66.2	55.6	95.3	118.0
Total I	648.3	678.6	1,099.1	1,374.5	1,424.1

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	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85 (forecast)
Against which receipts from EAGGF	572.6	698.6	783.7	1,132.9	1,087.1
II Price guarantees
Sheep (d)	32.9	—	—	—	—
Wool (e)	3.9	7.5	6.2	0.6	−4.3
Potatoes (e)	8.7	9.6	1.9	9.3	7.7
Total II	45.5	17.1	8.1	9.9	3.4
III Support for capital and other improvements
Agriculture and Horticulture Development Scheme (f) (g)	101.7	85.7	100.3	104.1	94.8
Guidance Premiums	10.2	6.5	5.5	4.0	3.6
Farm accounts	2.1	2.3	1.9	1.4	1.1
Farm structure	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5
Northern Ireland Agricultural Development Programme (g)	—	—	11.2	9.6	13.6
Agriculture and Horticulture Grant Scheme (h) (g)	88.8	76.5	83.6	96.2	84.1
Co-operation grants	1.4	2.1	2.4	3.8	5.1
Others (i)	0.3	0.2	0.5	1.0	2.3
Total III	205.1	173.9	206.0	220.6	205.1
Against which receipts from EAGGF (j)	16.8	26.8	—	46.4	30.1
IV Support for agriculture in special areas
Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances:
Sheep	53.8	47.4	50.3	52.6	55.8
Cattle	41.2	37.1	38.0	38.9	41.6
Additional benefit under AHDS, NIADP and AHGS	17.1	16.6	28.7	26.4	30.8
Others (k)	1.4	1.7	2.6	5.6	9.0
Total IV	113.5	102.8	119.6	123.5	137.2
Against which receipts from EAGGF (j)	16.9	17.0	21.1	21.0	22.5
V Other payments
Milk outgoers scheme	—	—	—	—	10.0
Total V	—	—	—	—	10.0
Total I to V	1,012.4	972.4	1,432.8	1,728.5	1,779.8
Against which receipts from EAGGF	606.3	742.4	804.8	1,200.3	1,139.7

(a) This table excludes expenditure which may benefit farmers but where the value to them is not shown by the expenditure (e.g. expenditure on animal disease or on research, advice and education). It also excludes most expenditure on agriculture in Northern Ireland, borne on the Northern Ireland Consolidated Fund. It does, however, include some expenditure which benefits consumers and trade interests rather than producers. The figures for years up to and including 1983–84 represent actual expenditure recorded in the Appropriation Accounts. The figures for 1984–85 are the latest estimates of expenditure.

(b) The figures are made up of several elements and include refunds on intra-Community trade, import and export refunds on third country trade, the beef and sheep variable premium schemes (net of clawback for sheepmeat and charges on beef exported and sold into intervention), aid for private storage and animal feed, certain other marketing and production subsidies and the cost of purchasing commodities into intervention less proceeds from sales. The figures also take account of other receipts treated as negative expenditure, namely monetary compensatory amounts levied on intra-Community trade and the co-responsibility and supplementary levies on milk producers. The figures include the EC butter subsidy and the United Kingdom share of the EC school milk subsidy scheme.

(c) Includes eggs, poultrymeat, fruit and vegetables, hops, herbage seeds, dried fodder, peas and beans, fisheries, flax and aid to beekeepers. Also includes expenditure on products covered by the CAP but not produced to any significant extent in the United Kingdom (olive oil, rice, wine, grapemust and hemp).

(d) Price guarantee arrangements for sheep were superseded by the EC sheepmeat regime on 20 October 1980.

(e) Payments in respect of wool and potatoes relate partly to the clip or crop of the year indicated and partly to the clip or crop in the preceding year or years. The negative figure for wool reflects the stabilisation arrangements with the British Wool Marketing Board whereby advance payments made by the Exchequer are repayable from later surpluses when auction prices are above the guaranteed price.

(f) Includes the Farm and Horticulture Development Schemes.

(g) Farmers in special areas are also eligible for additional assistance under the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Scheme, Northern Ireland Agricultural Development Programme and the Agriculture and Horticulture Grant Schemes. The estimated benefit is shown separately in Section IV on the table.

(h) Includes the Farm and Horticulture Capital Grant Schemes.

(i) Includes grants in respect of investment on loan guarantees, producer organisations, agricultural drainage and milk pasteurisation equipment (for which provision was included in the 1984–85 Supply Estimates) and farm structure loans.

(j) The receipts from the Guidance Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund do not relate to expenditure incurred during the financial year but mainly to expenditure incurred in the calendar year preceding the financial year.

(k) Includes grants for forage groups, integrated development programme for Western Isles, producers in the Scottish Islands and crofting improvements. Provision for this expenditure was included in the 1984–85 Supply Estimates.

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TABLE 3
Crop areas and livestock numbers (a)
At June of each year
	Average of 1973–75	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984 (provisional)
A. Crop areas ('000 hectares)
Total area	19,099	18,953	18,808	18,783	18,735	18,772
of which
Wheat	1,139	1,441	1,491	1,663	1,695	1,965
Barley	2,279	2,330	2,327	2,222	2,143	1,967
Oats	256	148	144	129	108	107
Mixed corn	43	13	11	10	8	8
Rye	5	6	6	6	7	6
Total cereals (b)	3,722	3,938	3,979	4,030	3,961	4,053
Potatoes	215	205	191	192	195	199
Sugar beet	196	213	210	204	199	200
Oilseed rape (c)	26	92	125	174	222	169
Hops	7	6	6	6	6	5
Vegetables grown in the open	194	190	178	179	152	147
Orchard fruit	56	46	44	43	41	39
Soft fruit (d)	18	19	18	18	17	17
Ornamentals (e)	16	12	13	13	12	12
Total horticulture (f)	286	270	255	254	224	218
Total tillage (g)	4,835	5,031	5,071	5,127	5,124	5,206
All grasses under five years old (h)	2,269	1,965	1,911	1,859	1,846	1,806
Total arable	7,104	6,996	6,982	6,986	6,970	7,012
All grasses five years old and over (i)	5,033	5,140	5,103	5,097	5,107	5,124
Rough grazing:
Sole right	5,472	5,119	5,021	4,984	4,927	4,905
Common (estimated)	1,126	1,214	1,214	1,214	1,212	1,212
Other land (j)	364	484	488	502	519	519
B. Livestock numbers ('000 head)
Total cattle and calves	14,834	13,426	(k)13,138	(k)13,244	13,290	13,255
of which
Dairy cows	3,361	3,228	3,191	3,250	3,333	3,265
Beef cows	1,829	1,478	(k)1,420	(k)1,389	1,358	1,354
Heifers in calf	997	838	863	851	847	810