Explanation Of Thai Trade

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29913, 29 August 1962, Page 14

Explanation Of Thai Trade

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 28. "The New Zealand dairy industry must sell its products in the forms that yield the highest return. This is a fundamental consideration, and it plays a big part in determining where we sell,” said the acting chairman of the Dairy Production and Marketing Board, Mr R. A. Candy today. He was commenting on the statement made in Dunedin by the Thai Foreign Minister, Mr Thanat Khoman, on the opportunities for New Zealand in the Thai dairy market. Mr Khoman said Thailand was importing £2.000.000 worth of dairy products a year, but the market was taken by European countries. “The fact that we have not been making any great volume of sales in Thailand does not mean that we are falling down on the job of marketing dairy products,” saia Mr Candy. “All our goods are sold commercially and New Zealand is one" of the very few dairy exporting countries

which does not have a surplus at present. This is a direct result of our marketing policy and methods.” Under present conditions, trade with Thailand in dairy products was relatively less profitable to New Zealand than trade with some other countries, mainly because of the structure of the Thai dairy trade. The market in Thailand was almost entirely tor condensed milk, a product which everywhere was being dumped by other dairy exporting countries which had surplus disposal problemsMr Candy said these points needed emphasis:— So far it had been unnecessary for New Zealand to resort to distress selling of dairy produce at lower prices and New Zealand was almost unique in this regard.

The Thailand trade was almost entirely in condensed milk, a commodity now generally subsidised. New Zealand’s entire trade in dairy produce with Thailand was in the hands of New Zealand’s private export houses.