Agriculture

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 3 May 1955.

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Photo of Mr Clifford Kenyon Mr Clifford Kenyon , Chorley 12:00, 3 May 1955

I am glad of that assurance from the right hon. Gentleman, and I hope that fowl pest will not extend further. We have had quite enough of it in Lancashire.

I wish to support what was said by the hon. Member for Norfolk, South-West (Mr. Bullard) about smallholdings. There should be some method by which a small farmer can increase his farming activities, but we should be very careful about encouraging people to take smallholdings. The two main sources of income for the smallholder are pig and poultry production, neither of which offers a certain market at present. A smallholder engaged in pig and poultry production can lose the whole of his capital in a very short time. All smallholdings should be large enough to enable the smallholder to extend his activities beyond those two things. He should be able to go in for cattle and, if possible, for sheep. The size of smallholdings should, in my opinion, be larger than is usual under county council schemes.

If we are to have an extension of agricultural production in this country, the agricultural community must have cheaper credit. I have stressed that point before, and I do so again. Agricultural commodities will not keep. Unlike manufactured articles which, if the market be not right, may be held up, agricultural commodities must be marketed when they are ready. For instance, when fatstock has reached a certain condition it must be sold, otherwise the animals will continue to consume and their condition will deteriorate.

It is essential, therefore, that the farming community shall have cheap money to enable it to risk putting a commodity on the market when it is ready. The agricultural community also must have command of working capital at all times and at a cheaper rate. Whatever may be the complexion of the Government when this House reassembles, I hope that the agricultural community will continue to take its rightful place in the economy of the nation.