§ Mr. Ralph HowellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 22 February,Official Report, columns 19–20, if he will give the world price for (a) milling wheat and (b) other wheat, for each year since 1979.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThere is no single world price for wheat. A wide range of prices are quoted, reflecting the different qualities of wheats of different origins. Where large surpluses exist actual trade may take place at prices lower than those quoted.
The figures are for Canadian Western Red Spring No. 1 (13.5 per cent.), a good quality hard milling wheat, and Argentinian Trigo Pan, a poorer quality wheat which may nevertheless in certain circumstances be used for milling. The figures are officially quoted export prices from those countries and thus do not include any shipping or transport costs or any import levies which may be payable when those grains are imported into other countries.
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World wheat prices £/tonne Crop year (July-June) Canadian Argentinian 1979–80 89 86 1980–81 97 89
Crop year (July—June) Canadian Argentinian 1981–82 107 97 1982–83 115 92 1983–84 131 94 1984–85 145 102 1985–86 126 71 1986–871 95 56 1 July to February. Source: World Wheat Statistics 1987, published by the International Wheat Council; $ converted to £ at the average rate for the marketing year.
§ Mr. Ralph HowellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state(a) the lowest and (b) the average price of imported wheat into the United Kingdom for each year since 1979, showing the quantity of all imported wheat in each of these years.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThe annual quantity and value of all wheat imported into the United Kingdom between 1979 and 1987 are shown in the following table:
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Quantity ('000 tonnes) Value (£'000) Average Price £ 'tonne 1979 2,601 256,524 98.6 1980 2,256 232,606 103.1 1981 1,772 208,186 117.5 1982 1,554 182,003 117.1 1983 1,326 180,110 135.8 1984 1,123 168,283 149.9
Quantity ('000 tonnes) Value (£'000) Average Price £ 'tonne 1985 1,614 230,130 142.6 1986 1,708 236,185 138.3 19871 1,719 223,734 130.2 1 Provisional. The average price has been derived by dividing the quantity by the value. Data on the prices of consignments are not available and it is therefore not possible to determine the lowest yearly prices.