§ Sir Nicholas Bonsorasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the cost of sending one tonne of wheat in overseas aid to Africa; and of that cost, how much is (a) storage, (b) purchase cost of wheat, (c) road transport in the United Kingdom, (d) shipping and (e) transportation within the African continent.
§ Mr. RaisonTenders are invited for wheat purchased under the British food aid programme on a fob basis. The price paid therefore includes unidentifiable elements for storage and road transport to the shipping port. The average recent purchase price for wheat has been £110 per tonne fob.
Shipment is normally arranged on our behalf by the World Food Programme at an average cost of £42 per tonne to Africa. Internal transport costs vary considerably: on the most recent shipments to Ethiopia the estimated cost is £100 per tonne.