To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many beef cows there are in Wales; what were the corresponding figures for the last five years; and if he will make a statement about future prospects for the beef sector.
The information is as follows:
| Number of beef cows in Wales at June: | |
| Year | Number |
| 1990 | 203,912 |
| 1989 | 194,266 |
| 1988 | 182,267 |
| 1987 | 178,769 |
| 1986 | 172,931 |
| 1985 | 174,586 |
Note: Figures are for both main and minor holdings.
The beef market continues to be underpinned by the special intervention arrangements at a cost of some £8 million a week currently; the suckler cow premium has been extended to include small milk producers, and producers in the less-favoured areas will benefit from the increase in the rate for 1991 which is at the maximum level permitted by the EC; and beef producers will also continue to benefit from the higher rate of beef special premium following the green pound devaluation agreed at last year's price-fixing.