Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the value of British food (a) production and (b) exports was in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

The value of British food production as it leaves the farm gate is measured at market prices in the Aggregate Agricultural Account. This does not include the value of any subsidies. The value of UK exports of food, feed and drink is estimated in the Overseas Trade Statistics at the prices paid between traders. The prices at the point of export are considerably higher than the prices at the farm gate because of value added in the wholesaling and manufacturing processes. The estimated percentage of UK production that is exported comes from Defra’s production to supply ratio calculation which involves revaluing exports to the value of the raw farm gate components.