HC Deb 30 October 1986 vol 103 cc251-2W
13. Miss Maynard

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his latest estimate of the likely cereal harvest in 1986.

41. Mr. Home Robertson

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the 1986 cereal harvest.

Mr. Gummer

I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, South (Mr. Yeo).

16. Mr. Kirkwood

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the implementation of the cereal co-responsibility levy; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jopling

I refer the hon. Member to the reply 1 gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Dorset, North (Mr. Baker) and the hon. Member for Rhondda (Mr. Rogers).

21. Mr. Deakins

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has as to the percentage change in the cereal prices received by farmers in Germany, France and United Kingdom, respectively in the current year as compared with 1985.

Mr. Gummer

The information requested is as follows:

Percentage change in market prices between July—September 1985 and July—September 1986.
United Kingdom France Germany
Breadmaking Wheat -7.0 + 5.9 -3.0
Feed Wheat +3.4 N/A -2.8
Feed Barley +3.5 +4.5 -4.0
Malting Barley +13.1 N/A +8.2
Oats +21.0 N/A -1.0

Ex-farm price data are not available. The percentage above are based on average market prices derived from prices supplied by member states to the European Commission. The 1986–87 market prices used are inclusive of co-responsibility levy.

Mr. Speller

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the implications of the cereals co-responsibility levy for the economic viability of (a) farms and (b) grain merchants.

Mr. Jopling

As the levy has been in force for only four months I am reluctant to attempt generalisations about its effect. Farmers themselves are not normally liable to pay the levy, which is collected at the stage of processing, export, or sale into intervention. But it was designed to reduce the incentive to cereals production for all but the smallest farmers. The distortions and complications which it threatens in other areas — especially for grain merchants and users—is one reason why I have always favoured achieving this objective through direct action on prices.