Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and predecessors: Statistics and Economics...

MAF 38

1866-1971

Memoranda and papers containing statistical information, including farm surveys and census returns for certain years, collected by the Board of Trade, the Board of Agriculture and its successors; with policy and legislation files setting up the machinery for the collection of the information, and minutes, working papers, etc. of various statistical and economic committees. There is also material relating to the National Farm Survey and the Agricultural Improvement Council.

Includes some files re-registered from the AAS file series (MAF 265), CSL and CSS file series (MAF 267), and EF file series: MAF 283

For the returns of the National Farm Survey see MAF 32 MAF 296

Records on cereal prices are in

Public Record(s)

English

960 file(s)

Subject to 30 year closure unless otherwise stated

Topics

Trade and commerce

Food and drink

Fishing

Farming

Average prices of British corn have been computed since 1685 and published in the London Gazette since 1771. June Agricultural Returns have been collected since 1867, for some periods voluntarily. The returns collected in England and Wales were in respect of agricultural holdings exceeding one acre in extent.

Quarterly Returns (March, September and December) were instituted under the Agricultural Returns Order, 1939. Following the outbreak of war in 1939, a number of special returns were collected, mostly under the provisions of the Agricultural Returns Order, 1939. These included Glasshouse Returns which related to holdings under glass of less than one acre producing crops for sale. Other returns were rendered voluntarily. In regard to England and Wales, occupiers were required to send copies of their June and quarterly returns to their County War Agricultural Executive Committee for use in connection with feeding stuffs rationing, cropping instructions, etc. The obligation to send a copy return to committee was not extended to other special returns.