Mr Moyle, Meat Board differ

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33611, 13 August 1974, Page 2

Mr Moyle, Meat Board differ

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 12. The Minister of Agriculture (Mr Moyle) will have immediate talks with the Meat Board in a bid to increase New Zealand’s lamb exports to the United States.

Mr Moyle returned on Saturday from a threeweek trip to North America and Europe. Today, he said he was convinced that the United States market could take twice as much lamb as was now being sent there. But the chairman of the Board (Mr C. Hilgendorf), said today that to have twice as much lamb in America at E resent would be “an absoite disaster.” “It could only lead to the complete disruption of the market,” he said. Last season New Zealand could have sold more lambs in North America very profitably—but this applied to all markets last season. This season, Devco had procured, and had available both in New Zealand and North America, quite as many lambs as it could sell before next season at payable prices—and possibly even more than that. “To have another million lambs—twice the present number—waiting to be sold in America would have been an absolute disaster,” said Mr Hilgendorf. Devco quotas Mr Moyle said that the Meat Board must take a greater interest in the placement of New Zealand’s meat overseas. “At the moment Smithfield is very weak but they are crying out for lamb in the United States.” Stocks of New Zealand lamb in Britain would be carried over into the new sea-

son — when traders traditionally liked to be clear of all their old season’s lamb. “But there is a chance things will improve — a chicken shortage is likely there next year, and many people eat chicken as a substitute for lamb,” the Minister said. Mr Moyle said that his talks with the Meat Board would aim at finding just how much lamb could 'be sent to North America and how to co-ordinate production in New Zealand so that the quota was attained. The Meat Export Development Company (Devco) would also be involved in the talks. “Too many people are making the decisions on our lamb production and’ marketing,” Mr Moyle said. “We must co-ordinate things.” Cheese wanted Mr Moyle will also seek early talks with die Dairy Board — but they are likely to be most amicable. He will ask the Board to prepare to send more cheese to Britain. “They’re short of milk and they want more cheese,” he said. “I told them we would send the cheese if satisfactory pricing arrangements could be agreed on. "I also pointed out that under our special arrangement with Britain since it has been in the Common Market we are trying to phase out cheese exports there. “They said they would bear in mind our response to this request when that arrangement is renegotiated to provide for access after 1977." E.E.C prices Mr Moyle also said he made some progress on the timing of the Common Market consideration of New Zealand’s request for an increase in its market-regu-lated returns for butter and cheese. “I expect it would be considered in late September cr early October.” He emphasised that New Zealand’s proposals were a more flexible pricing arrangement. This would mean about a 31 per cent increase in the gross return for butter and an 18 per cent increase in the return to the New Zealand producer. Over-all, Mr Moyle is optimistic about price prospects for New Zealand’s vital agricultural exports this season.

He predicts an early end to the beef crisis — prompted by both diplomatic action and the recent failure of the North American feed-grain harvest. Although the wool selling season would open on a level lower than last season’s, prices should improve for crossbred wools over the season, said Mr Moyle. He called for an increase in the amount of wool processed into carpets in New Zealand, because of a waiting list of up to eight months for this country’s woollen carpets overseas.