Plea For Sharing Promotion Costs

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31985, 12 May 1969, Page 15

Plea For Sharing Promotion Costs

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, May 8. The president of Federated Farmers . (Mr P. S. Plummer) today made a plea to the National Development Conference for some sharing of the cost of promoting New Zealand’s primary produce exports.

Mr Plummer also appealed i to industry and management < to do everything possible to ’ overcome the present Indus-, trial unrest. - ' ( He said there were “omin- ’ ous signs” of another round 1 of internal inflation which , would be disastrous to the ! farmers. “The primary producers of i this country pay about sl2m annually on the promotion of < their products on overseas markets promotion which helps everyone in this coun- ; try. “We frankly think it is time that some of this promotion ‘ burden is shared by others,” 1 said Mr Plummer. “I am particularly pleased 1 that this conference has > already agreed that the Government should pay half > the cost of wool promotion." i The Government, he said,

must redouble its efforts to ensure access to the rich industrial countries of Europe. Producer boards and those who traded in primary products must also ensure that wherever there was access everything possible must be done to exploit the trading opportunities open to New Zealand. Mr Plummer expressed confidence that if the barriers to New Zealand’s primary produce trade could be lessened then there need be little fear for the future. “If the Government is not successful in moderating the destructive and harmful agricultural policies of the industrial countries then the future will not be good. “That is why- it is so im--1 portant that our own policies • of protection must not be a ■ charge against us when we ’ plead our case in interna- , tional forums," he said.