Call To Oppose Meat Quota Plan

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30110, 19 April 1963, Page 10

Call To Oppose Meat Quota Plan

(Neu> Zealana Press Association)

WELLINGTON, April 18

Strenuous resistance to any attempt to limit New Zealand's access to the British meat market by way of international commodity agreements was advocated tonight by a meat exporter.

Such a restriction could be disastrous for New Zealand, Mr W. R. Coleman, general manager of W. and R. Fletcher (N.Z.), Ltd., told the Wellington branch of the Economic Society of Australia and New Zealand.

Referring to the agreements suggested here this week by an English farming spokesman, Mr Harold Woolley, Mr Coleman said the New Zealand meat industry was concerned at any suggestion of controlling or restricting the right of entry of New Zealand meat to the British market. It was understandable, he conceded, that Britain was concerned about its present system, under which £350 million was being spent this year in subsidising agriculture, but he said New Zealand’s meat industry was efficient and unsubsidised New Zealand had based and built its meat export industry on the sale of lamb to Britain. It would be quite disastrous if any restriction was placed on the country’s opportunity of shipping to the

United Kingdom or to any other maiket.

“Under the existing agreement between the two countries, New Zealand has unrestricted duty-free access for meat to the British market till 1967, and it is a matter of vital importance to New Zealand to maintain that right.” said Mr Coleman New Zealand must step up its beef production to ensure the future of its meat industry, he said There were big opportunities for the sale of additional quantities of beef

He supported that greatei use of crossbred beef, and agreed with those who complained about the wastage caused by the killing of more than a million bobby calves each year. “Surely a start could be made by saving at least a few of the more suitable types of those calves and growing them up to beef cattle,” he said.

Mr Coleman said he considered the extended production of beef cattle in conjunction with sheep farming was possible, for cattle helped to improve the fertility, and therefore the capacity, of farms New Zealand’s market expansion in beef was already quite a spectacular effort, and had been achieved by the readiness of its meat industry to adapt itself to change with speed and flexibility Of lamb exports to America. Mr Coleman said that the large United States population would need to increase its per capita lamb consumption only slightly to give New Zealand a worthwhile market.

One object of the meat industry, the Meat Board and the Federated Farmers was to persuade the American farmer that a carefullyhandled lamb trade could develop a liking for lamb in the United States that would also improve demand for home-produced lamb New Zealand and American farmers, in their respective seasons, would share the benefit of any increase.