s 1 Power to provide for guaranteed prices, etc.
(1) The Minister may by order make such provision as appears to him to be expedient for providing guaranteed prices or assured markets for producers of produce described in the First Schedule to this Act. (2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provision, an order under this section in respect of any produce may in particular provide— (a) for the payment by the Minister to the Board administering a marketing scheme for the produce of sums calculated by reference to the difference between the value at guaranteed prices determined by the Minister in pursuance of the order of the produce sold by the Board and the receipts of the Board ascertained or estimated for the purposes of the order from the sale of the produce; (b) for the payment by the Minister to producers of the produce, or to such other persons as may be prescribed by the order, of sums calculated by reference to the difference between guaranteed prices determined by the Minister in pursuance of the order and prices ascertained or estimated for the purposes of the order as the prices received or to be received by producers on the sale of the produce; (c) for the purchase by or on behalf of the Minister or by the Board administering a marketing scheme for the produce, at guaranteed prices determined by the Minister in pursuance of the order, of any of the produce tendered by the producers, and, in the case of purchase by any such Board, for the payment by the Minister of the whole or part of any trading losses incurred or treated as incurred by the Board on the purchase and disposal of the produce. (3) Subject to the provisions of this section, any guaranteed price to be determined by the Minister in pursuance of an order under this section shall be determined from time to time in respect of such guarantee periods (being periods of or of approximately twelve months) as may be prescribed by the order, and shall be so determined in the light of the conclusions of the Ministers from the annual review last held before the commencement of the period concerned. (4) Subject to the following provisions of this part of this Act, any guaranteed price determined by the Minister for a guarantee period in pursuance of an order under this section may be varied by a subsequent determination of the Minister. (5) An order under this section in respect of any produce described in the First Schedule to this Act may be made so as to apply only to particular descriptions or quantities of that produce, or may make different provision (including in particular provision for the determination of different guaranteed prices) in respect of different descriptions or quantities of that produce; and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provision produce may be distinguished for the purposes of any such order by reference— (a) to the area in which, or the season of the year in which, it is produced, sold or despatched or delivered on sale; (b) to the purpose for which it is sold or used; (c) to the methods by which it is marketed, including the places at which it is delivered on sale. (6) Where the dates of the guarantee periods prescribed by an order under this section are varied by a subsequent order, that subsequent order may direct that the duration of the first guarantee period under the order as varied, or of the last previous guarantee period, shall be shortened or extended accordingly.