§ Mr. Nicholas BennettTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the current state of the beef sector.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThroughout 1988 prices for finished beef were above those in the previous year. Prices fell at the end of 1988 and are now very similar to those at the same time last year. Prices for other stock, including stores and calves, remain above the levels last year, while the numbers of suckler cows and heifers in calf for beef production continue to grow, reflecting producers' expectations for the beef market.