Food Exports In Consumer Forms

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31765, 23 August 1968, Page 7

Food Exports In Consumer Forms

The establishment of a food export research bureau to propose forms in which New Zealand might provide consumer products for overseas markets was suggested by Mr H. A. L. Morris, reader in food technology at Massey University of Manawatu, when he spoke to the conference of the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural Science at Lincoln College this week.

Noone would be so hopeful as to envisage converting all food exports into consumer forms, he said, but if only one-third of food ex* ports (worth about s4oom) were more fully processed into a range of consumer forms, then additional export earnings of up to 3100 m would appear feasible. Soundly based employment and local industries would also be the product of this type of development

After giving some examples of techniques evolved in New Zealand for adding value to New Zealand produce, Mr Morris said that there was a need for some more specialised organisation to suggest forms of consumer products that might be based on all of the country’s food-producing industries.

Scope of Bureau A food export research bureau would invegtipate all potential export markets, looking at factors such as religious customs and the

Mturn of imports to obtain ideas. It could work in conjunction with a technical development unit or pass its ideas on to existing establishments for development A technologist, he said, tended to feel that New Zea-

land bad anchored itself unnecessarily to a general policy of offering its primary produce to overseas buyers in mainly raw materiel or semiprocessed forms. “In so-called prosperous times we could philosophically donate the potential added value obtained by converting our exports to consumer products to overseas buyers, but in present or likely future circumstances such a practice could be considered tragic." Disagreement Dr W. A. McGillivray, director of the Dairy Research Institute, said he could not agree with Mr Morris. The dairy industry had maintained Its traditional role as a supplier of high-quality products in bulk. There were, of course.

- critics of that policy who felt I that the industry’s efforts ’ should be directed more toi wards consumer pecks so as ■ to take advantage of the additional value associated with i the increased labour content ' added in New Zealand. I “These people, however, ! overlook many important fac- ■ tors such as the economies of ; bulk handling, the policies of recipient countries on the imi port of bulk as compared with consumer products, the riery strong desire, perticulerly In developing areas, to use their own labour to the fullest extent, the evoidance of cotnpepi tion with other handlers of daily products who can bei come our customers, and the advantages of coopersting with local Interests to sell under established labels.”