DAIRY BOARD Selling Methods In Japan Defended

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31412, 4 July 1967, Page 26

DAIRY BOARD Selling Methods In Japan Defended

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, July 3.

“The Dairy Board’s sales of dairy produce to Japan in the trading year just ended reached about £l5 million, about double the value of Australian sales to that market,” said Mr A. H. Ward, general manager of the Dairy Board, today.

He was replying to criticism of the selling methods of New Zealand producer boards by the president of the New Zealand Bureau of Importers (Mr J. Hall).

In part of his criticism, Mr Hall said New Zealand cheese sold in Japan was not branded as coming from New Zealand.

He said the biggest-selling cheese in Japan was Australian and clearly branded and advertised as such.

“Mr Hall entirely misses the fact that we sell all our produce through private traders,” said Mr Ward.

Private Traders

“The Japanese import trade is handled by private traders and serviced by them. “If the New Zealand Bureau of Importers is opposed to this method, as Mr Hall suggests, then it would seem to be questioning the position of New Zealand importers as distributors for overseas exporters. “Would Mr Hall suggest that the overseas principals

and not the New Zealand importers, should control distribution in New Zealand?”

Board’s Policy

Mr Ward pointed out that the largest selling brands of cheese in Japan were Japanese, not Australian. One importer of New Zealand cheese controlled 70 per cent of the Japanese market for cheese and it would continue to be the board’s policy to work with and through the main manufacturers and distributors of cheese on the Japanese market and to combine with Japanese private trading interests in the maximum expansion of cheese consumption in Japan. It was in New Zealand’s long-term interests to combine with, and not to compete with, these local private interests.