E.E.C. apple glut likely to hit N.Z.

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34000, 14 November 1975, Page 3

E.E.C. apple glut likely to hit N.Z.

Z, Press Assn—Copyright) , BRUSSELS. Nov. 13. The Common Market is relying' on New Zealand. Australia. and other apple producers to restrain themselves from producing a glut of fruit on the European market next northern spring. The E.E.C. Commission is! itaking a soft-line approach; but it is reserving the right j Ito introduce import controls] I if Southern Hemisphere! (countries do not voluntarily; I reduce their shipments. It was anounced in Brus-i i seis this week that the Com-j imon Market is appealing to; jthe southern suppliers "toj * have consideration for” its

.problems to avoid a serious crisis next year. Approaches have already [been made to four nations— Australia, South Africa, ArIgentina. and Uruguay. It is understood that New Zealand ■ —which although not one of ;the main exporters sent a record SNZ23.I2m worth of [fruit to Europe this year— Iwill be contacted soon. All five Southern Hemisphere countries traditionally .send large quantities of apples to Europe between ; April and August, The south|em apples begin arriving ;when cold-store stocks of .local fruit from the northern ■autumn harvest are usually [running out. But faced with a bumper I European crop of about [seven million tonnes of (apples this year, the E.E.C. fears that it will still have huge stocks on hand when the southern fruit begins arriving. Already, there have been reports of heavy, wastage of over-ripe and unsold fruit in France, one of Europe’s main producers. The Netherlands, which alone is producing 600.000

’tonnes more than last year' has asked the F..E < Commisision to seek voluntary reduc-i ■tions of up to 50 per cent: in next season’s southern’ shipments. If the southern exporters do not co-operate the Dutch: suggested, import controls! should be introduced. The commission is reluctant to do -this for political reasons. The Agriculture Commis-i sioner ’Mr Petrus Lardinois). has pointed out that most: of the main suppliers have already been affected by the' 'E.E.C.’s restrictions on beef, [imports and would be un-; ilikelv to co-operate in further restriction of their trade. Hence the commission’s isoft-line approach. Mr Lar-: idinois told Agriculture Min-; listers of the Nine in Brussels] (this week that he had asked the main suppliers to give [details of their prospective [harvests and developments ■ on internal and external mar‘kets. I No immediate action was planned, he said. But he; made it clear that the com-, mission would consider import controls if the producers’ did not co-operate.