§ 27. Mr. YeoTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received about the need for further incentives to take land out of cereal production.
§ Mr. CurryI have been asked by the President of the National Farmers Union to reconsider the levels of payment for set-aside in the United Kingdom. I have decided to maintain the rates unchanged.
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the annual cost to the European Economic Community budget of growing a representative 500 acres of wheat in Norfolk in (i) 1988 and (ii) in the current financial year.
§ Mr. CurryInformation is not available in the form requested. However, an indication of the average cost of supporting 500 acres of cereals anywhere in the Community can be worked out by dividing the sums in the cereals chapter of the guarantee section of the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund for 1988 and 1989 by the total cereals area of the Community in 1987–88 and 1988–89 respectively. This gives figures of some £16,800 and some £15,100 for 500 acres of cereals in 1988 and 1989 respectively.
§ Mr. John GreenwayTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers claimed in the last cereals year under the small cereals producers aid scheme for a co-responsibility rebate.
§ Mr. CurryThe present deadline for claims under the small cereals producer aid scheme is 31 July. We do not as yet have a final figure for claims submitted but all the signs are that the figure will be disappointingly low. I am therefore extending the deadline for claims to 30 September so that producers have the maximum opportunity to apply under this scheme.