HC Deb 28 April 1986 vol 96 cc312-3W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will bring up to date the information concerning prices and levies charged on foodstuffs on the same basis as given in his reply of 26 February 1985, Official Report, columns 89–91; and to what extent prices to United Kingdom farmers have risen in terms of pound sterling as a result of the fall in the exchange rate since July 1985.

Mrs. Fenner

The information requested on levies and "world" prices was set out in the reply of 21 April at column42. Average market-wholesale prices in the United Kingdom are shown in the table. Support prices fixed under the common agricultural policy are converted into pound sterling at the representative rate of exchange: this rate has remained unchanged since 1979. The effects of changes in the market rate for the pound are generally offset, for most of the major agricultural products, by the operation of monetary compensatory amounts, import levies and export refunds.

Selected average market/wholesale prices in the United Kingdom for the week ending 5 April 1986
Market/wholesale prices for week ending 5 April 1986 £/tonne
Common wheat (grower to merchant price in England and Wales) 114
Barley (grower to merchant price England and Wales) 107
Maize (USA export, Bristol) 157
Rice (USA long grain, London) 605
Sugar (refined, bulk, granulated) 428
Olive oil (EC origin, CIF United Kingdom) Not quoted
Butter (English, wholesale, London) 2,231
Skimmed milk powder (list price) 1,100
Fat cattle (certified United Kingdom, liveweight) 961
Fat sheep (certified, Great Britain, estimated dressed carcase weight) 2,573
Fat pigs (all pigs, deadweight) 967
Poultrymeat (broilers, liveweight) 571
Eggs (size 3, packer to producer price) 483

Note:

A wide range of price quotations exists for individual commodities depending on quality, presentation, stage of marketing and so on. These shown are intended to be illustrative of prices paid by wholesalers or received by producers.

Forward to