§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will publish the report of the Inputs Task Force. [160949]
§ Mr. Nick BrownI published the report today. The task force found that across the board, UK farmers do not pay more for their inputs than their competitors in Europe, but competitive trade can be frustrated by a lack of transparency in the market, commercial arrangements and differing regulatory requirements for some inputs across EU member states. They also found that there was a wide range of efficiency of input use and substantial scope for improvement.
222WThe report contains a number of recommendations for action by both Government and industry to reduce input costs and optimise input use. The Government will consider these carefully and publish a full response as soon as possible.
The report is available in the House Libraries and on the MAFF website.