N.Z. CASE ACCEPTED BY DUTCH FARMERS

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32554, 13 March 1971, Page 2

N.Z. CASE ACCEPTED BY DUTCH FARMERS

(N.Z.P.A. Staff Correspondent)

THE HAGUE, March 12.

Senior officials of the Dutch Farmers’ Union have accepted the principle that New Zealand dairy exports to Britain should not be stopped abruptly by British entry into the E.E.C.

A paper outlining New Zealand’s difficulties and needs within the Common Market negotiations was read last week to the executive board of the Landbouwschap, the national union in which Dutch farmers and farmers’ labourers meet to discuss national policies and to try to influence Government decisions on fanning. The paper was prepared after a detailed study of New Zealand trade with Europe had been made by the Landbouwschap’s international affairs committee, which is made up of farmers, members of Parliament and scientists. An official said: “The paper

said that we see the difficulties of New Zealand very carefully. It said that in the long-term we must seek a solution to world dairy problems by way of a world agreement. "But it made it clear that in the short term we must not do anything that would have the effect of bringing New Zealand’s dairy trade with Britain to an abrupt or sudden end.” NO TRADE WAR

The spokesman said that Dutch farmers did not want any form of trade war with New Zealand, either in Europe or in South-East Asia,

where the Netherlands has invested in recombining plants. The kind of agreement the Landbouwschap was seeking would include such things as fixed prices and special development aid in dairy products by governments, and it could be an agreement negotiated through the International Federation of Agricultural Producers. Asked when some progress might be made or an agreement reached, the spokesman said this was quite impossible to say, but some progress might be made in May when a committee of the international federation reported to its conference in Paris.

He said there had been no comments or questions from the 26-man board when papers on New Zealand and other Commonwealth interests in the E.E.C. negotiations were read last week.

“And I can say quite definitely that all members of the international affairs group fully agreed with the finding of the paper.”