Agricultural imports and domestic produce
The Minister put agricultural imports in the specified categories at approximately £520 million, including £226 million in processed goods, but said he could not accurately estimate how much could be produced at home. Asked whether imports of potatoes and other produce would be restricted until domestic supplies were exhausted, he noted recent action on potatoes at producers’ request.
asked the Minister for Agriculture the value of agricultural imports in 1981 in (a) processed and (b) unprocessed form which could reasonably be expected to be produced at home.
Comment on this
The total value of agricultural imports in 1981 under the categories live animals, meat and meat preparations, dairy products, cereal and cereal preparations, vegetables and fruit, sugar and sugar preparations was approximately £520 million.
According to statistics supplied by the Central Statistics Office £226 million or 44 per cent of these imports could be described as processed while the remaining £292 million is unprocessed items. It is not possible to state with any accuracy the volume which reasonably could be produced here. It is clear, however, that there is scope for replacing a certain amount of the imports by modifying our production arrangements and intensifying the degree of domestic processing, although much of the imports is accounted for by products such as citrus fruit which cannot be produced here.
Comment on this
Would the Minister give a commitment that potatoes and other produce affecting the farming community will not be allowed in until our own produce has been exhausted?