‘Meat Export Law Urgently Needed’

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31143, 20 August 1966, Page 1

‘Meat Export Law Urgently Needed’

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 19. The Minister of Overseas Trade (Mr Marshall) said tonight that legislation was urgently needed to begin a satisfactory lamb export diversification scheme before the end of the year.

Mr Marshall said that time was running out. He hoped that both parties would soon resolve their difference of opinion. “The Government still wants the parties to reach agreement on their own and has no desire to impose any solution,” he said. “Co-operation is needed, not coercion.” If the Meat Board and the exporters could not agree, a

compromise would have to be worked out and this would probably involve several meetings, said Mr Marshall. The deputy-chairman of the North Lsland Freezing Companies’ Association (Mr P. T. Norman) today denied a suggestion that the exporters were trying to usurp the powers of the board by pressing for the establishment of a second statutory organisation to control meat exports. The suggestion was made this week by the chairman of the Meat and Wool Section of Federated Fanners (Mr P. G. Spackman). Mr Norman said the freezing companies recognised the need for a lamb market diversification scheme.

At the request of the board they had prepared legislation proposals which they considered would effectively implement such a scheme.