HC Deb 10 June 2004 vol 422 cc502-3W
Mr. Whittingdale

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how much grain was held on world stockpiles in each of the last 30 years; [177411]

(2) how many days' worth of global consumption of grain was held on world stockpiles in each of the last 30 years. [177412]

Alun Michael

The Government do not collect global grain stock or consumption statistics but the following information is publicly available from supply and demand balance sheets compiled by the United States Department of Agriculture.

World stocks1 (million tonnes) Days supply2
1974–75 170 64
1975–76 180 67
1976–77 241 85
1977–78 233 79
1978–79 278 90
1979–80 274 86
1980–81 255 80
1981–82 281 87
1982–83 332 101
1983–84 278 84
1984–85 340 99
1985–86 421 123
1986–87 469 132
1987–88 420 115
1988–89 336 95
1989–90 318 86
1990–91 366 98
1991–92 356 95
1992–93 395 104
1993–94 362 96
1994–95 358 93
1995–96 317 84
1996–97 366 93
1997–98 412 104
1998–99 444 112
1999–2000 439 110
2000–01 415 103
2001–02 396 97
2002–03 332 81
2003–04 251 60
1Ending stock for year in question.
Ending stock divided by total daily consumption.