Threat To Farm Commodities

Press, Volume C, Issue 29652, 24 October 1961, Page 17

Threat To Farm Commodities

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) BRISBANE, October 23. If Britain joined the European Common Market withoutmodifications to the proposed agricultural policy, all Australian agricultural commodities except wool would be dealt a heavy blow', Sir William Gunn said at Surfers Paradise todav.

The chairman of the International Wool Secretariat was addressing delegates to the annual conference of the Australian Association of Advertising Agencies. Dairy products would have to carry a 20 per cent, duty to enter Common Market countries, and sugar would carry an 80 per cent. duty. Sir William Gunn said he saw no reason why Australia should not continue to sell wool on all world markets and to go on increasing her wool production. Secondary industries had to face the fact that they would have to compete with the manufacturing efficiency of other countries. ‘Japan buys 35 per cent, of our wool, is our number two wheat customer and evidence suggests she will become a substantial dairy product market. "We cannot expect to put up tariff barriers and import restrictions to countries like

that. We cannot build efficient secondary industries sheltered behind import restrictions. They are inflationary and tend to protect the inefficient,” he said. Sir William Gunn said Australia must do all possible to help her industries develop their export markets. The ability of Australia’s primary industries to stay profitable was going to depend to a large extent on the secondary industries, he said.