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Pigs

Volume 951: debated on Monday 12 June 1978

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asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in view of the fact that the contracted number of bacon pigs from Leicestershire Quality Livestock Producers Ltd on the FMC bacon contract is down by 6,000 pigs per annum which represents a drop of 33⅓ per cent. and that the British share of the domestic bacon market has fallen from 46·4 per cent. in 1977 to 42·3 per cent. in 1978, he will take immediate steps to secure an early adjustment in the calculation of the monetary compensatory amounts.

I have long pressed for a change in the way the monetary compensatory amounts—mcas—for pig-meat are calculated. Despite considerable opposition from some other member States, I have so far secured two changes which taken together cut the mcas by over 15 per cent. I shall take any opportunity which arises to seek further changes. My immediate aim is to improve matters by getting agreement to changes in the coefficients used to calculate mcas on processed pigmeat. I have an undertaking from the Commission that these coefficients will be reviewed urgently.