EC SOURCES SAY UK WHEAT PLAN YET TO BE APPROVED

  The European Commission has not taken a
  decision on applications from the British government for the
  release of 200,000 tonnes of intervention feed wheat onto the
  British market in May and June, Commission sources said.
      They said last week's cereals management committee agreed
  to release 70,000 tonnes of feed wheat through weekly tenders
  between April 14 and May 26. It also indicated it planned to
  allow the release of another 30,000 tonnes from April 23.
      However, it decided to leave consideration of the release
  of further wheat until later.
      The British government had applied for the release of a
  further 100,000 tonnes in both May and June from British
  intervention stores to prevent market prices rising.
      However, the sources said, the Commission wanted to review
  the market situation nearer the time before giving its
  approval.
      The Commission was given new powers last year to control
  the release of intervention cereals onto the market, the
  sources noted.
      Following last week's committee meeting, the U.K. Ministry
  of Agriculture said the Commission had given an assurance that
  additional quantities of intervention wheat would be made
  available in May and June. It also said that it was envisaged
  that monthly releases would be at least 100,000 tonnes,
  depending on the state of the market.
      This lead to the widespread assumption that the Commission
  had actually approved the release of 300,000 tonnes during the
  three months of April, May and June at last week's meeting.
  

