asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will indicate in actual and constant sums the total value of produce sold off Northern Ireland farms in each of the last four financial years and the estimate for the current financial year.
Aggregate data on the output of Northern Ireland agriculture are available only for calendar years. The estimated value of the gross output of Northern Ireland agriculture for the years 1977 to 1980 is given below together with an index of gross output at constant (1975) prices re-based to 1977=100.
Gross Output(£m)
| Constant Prices Index (1977=100) (Volume of Output)
| |
| 1977 | 447·4 | 100 |
| 1978 | 502·2 | 102 |
| 1979 | 528·3 | 100 |
| 1980 | 550·6 | 104 |
A provisional estimate of gross output in 1981 is not yet available but a forecast made in October/November 1981 in preparation for the United Kingdom annual review of agriculture indicated an increase of the order of £45 million in current money terms. The index of the volume of gross output was forecast to fall to 100.