§ Sir Richard BodyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated increase or decrease in production in percentage terms of(a) wheat, (b) barley and (c) maize in 1988 by comparison with 1987 (i) in the United Kingdom and (ii) in the EEC as a whole.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonGiven the significance of the weather for cereal yields, it is not possible to produce a reliable forecast of United Kingdom cereal production before the harvest. However, the latest forecasts of Community production of cereals in 1988 produced by the European statistical office show the following changes when compared with the provisional production figures for 1987:
Percentage change Common Wheat 7.7 Durum Wheat -3.1 Barley 1.0 Maize 5.4 Other Cereals 0.6