ARGENTINE EXPORTS

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28154, 18 December 1956, Page 16

ARGENTINE EXPORTS

FARMERS CALL FOR LIMITATION WAIKATO BODY SEEKS EARLY APPROACH (New Zealand Press Association) wt AUCKLAND, December 17. New Zealand would soon be in a very sad state if the Government did not take immediate action to have some limit placed on South American exports of primary production to the United Kingdom, said Mr A. B. Br ak ! r^ a member of the New Zealand Meat. Producers’ Board, when addressing the executive committee of Wai“ato federated Farmers in Hamilton today. Mr Baker recently returned from the United Kingdom, Europe, and South America, where was studying the meat markets on behalf of the board. “If something is not done before next April, May, or June, the Argentine export of 280,000 tons of meat m 1956 is likely to increase to 300.000 or 350,000 tons,’’ he said. “It will be much more difficult to limit this once these increases are achieved than it would today. “A point that should be emphasised is that, per caput, the South American spent ;5s in Great Britain during the first nine months of this year: the New Zealander, per caput, spent a little over £4O during the same period.’’ Mr Baker said that increased production in the United Kingdom and m New Zealand was now almost sufficient to replace completelv the pre-war supplies of the Argentine. “The Meat Board has been pressing for urgent action in this matter,’’ he concluded, “but we are now told it may be the middle of next year before a case can be compiled and put to the British Government.’’ The executive committee passed a resolution saying that it particularly regretted “the loss of time in making a positive approach to the British Government for the limiting of South American meat supplies.’’ It suggested that the time was opportune to discuss reciprocal trade arrangements that would “at least give recognition to the efforts made during and after the war by the New Zealand producer to close the gap when food was urgently needed in Great Britain.’’