§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in theOfficial Report a table showing for the years 1985 to 1987 and the estimate for the current year the guide and minimum prices for cotton under the common agricultural policy, the average world price, the cost of support to the EEC budget, the tonnage qualifying under the arrangement and the amount of aid per tonne, and production imports and exports of cotton in the EEC.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThe information requested is contained in the table. Institutional prices and rates of aid, 387W as laid down in the EC regime for cotton, relate to cotton in the unginned state. Estimates for the current year are given where available.
1985 1986 1987 1988 Guide price1 (ECU/100 kg) 96.02 96.02 96.02 96.02 Minimum price1 2 (ECU/100 kg) before adjustment under MGQ system 91.23 91.23 91.23 91.23 Average world price (approximately)1 3 (ECU/100 kg) 29.00 28.00 29.00 Aid payable1 2 (by weighted average) before adjustment under MGQ system (ECU/100 kg) 63.22 70.1 65.3 Quantity in receipt1 2 of aid (tonnes) (In effect, EC production) 561,555 947,000 4870,000 Imports of cotton into the EEC (ginned; tonnes) Source: Nimexe 808,166 (EC of 10) 1,054,536 1,119,309 Exports of cotton from the EC (ginned, tonnes) Source: Nimexe 46,425 24,343 56,742 EC expenditure on 1 aid (in million ECU) 355 587 519 1 Prices, aid and quantities are for the marketing year beginning in the year of harvest, and relate to a standard quality. 2 Production in excess of the maximum guaranteed quantity attracts a proportionate reduction in rates of aid and minimum price and possible reduction in the MGQ the following year. In 1986/87 marketing year the deduction was 8 ECU/100 kg (approximately) and in 1987/88 it was 5.761 ECU/100 kg. 3 World prices are for unginned cotton and are calculated from recorded prices for ginned cotton. 4 Provisionally estimated.