N.Z. ‘soft sell’ criticised in U.K.

Press, 24 February 1978, Page 2

N.Z. ‘soft sell’ criticised in U.K.

London correspondent New Zealand is not getting its case for trade in Europe across to the British consumer, but the Government sees no need to do much about this.

i The vicious European circle, which slams surcharges on cheap New Zealland butter and lamb, and I then reduces imports be- | cause people buy less of it ias a result, is not understood by the average Briton ■ — and the Government sees no reason for telling him. This conclusion was reached by some of the 20odd Fleet Street journalists who questioned the Minister of Agriculture (Mr MacIntyre) at a press conference in New Zealand house this week.

At an unusually well attended press conference at the end of his three-week visit to Europe, Mr MacIntyre was consistently asked why New Zealand did not explain thv problems it faced in Europe to the ordinary person.

“Our policy has always been that we deal between Governments and boards, rather than try to mount an independent campaign to plead New Zealand’s case,” he said.

"I am quite certain that attitude has paid us dividends, because we have had British governments support the New Zealand case for many years now.” The agricultural correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” said that the residue of good will for New' Zealand among the British people was not being tapped,

and asked Mr Maclntyre why. The Minister said a campaign aimed at the British public might be seen by the British Government, as an attempt to “blackguard” it The doors had remained open to New Zealand, no matter which government was in power, he said. Asked about previous complaints about a lack of aggressiveness on the part of the New Zealand Dairy Board, Mr Maclntyre said he had discussed the matter with his Government, and “we decided we would stay with what has been our policy.” ; Any campaign aimed at | the British public, he said, would be “very large, and expensive,” if it were done properly, “and at the moment we have to watch the dollars.”

“One of these days your consumers over here will combine and realise that they’ve been done,” he said. “It is looked upon as acceptable to fix the market in order to ensure that the incomes of farmers — in many cases very high cost farmers by world standards —are protected, without much regard for the interests of the consumer.” Britain should have consumer associations as effective as those in New Zealand and the United States, he said. Without watchdog organisations such as these, some food would be priced out of the reach of housewives. Earlier, in his speech to the Royal Commonwealth Society, Mr Maclntyre said some people had suggested

New Zealand mount a major campaign, and give its case an open airing on the hustings, in the streets, and on the billboards. That was not, and would not, become New Zealand’s policy, he said. But when he was asked what the average Briton could do to help New Zealand, Mr Maclntyre apparently contradicte> himself by saying: First of all, understand our situation. - “That is why I have given you some facts. We know there is tremendous good will; that there is a liking for our products; and that you are caught up in the Common Market. If the British people know our problems, it must have an effect,” he said. The “residue of good will” was obvious at the Royal Commonwealth society, and is just as much in evidence elsewhere in Britain, writes one correspondent. When the New Zealand position in Europe is explained to him, the Briton sees the justice of the New Zealand case.

The problem is that it still has not been explained to about 95 per cent of the population in language they can understand.

Mr Maclntyre said he was optimistic that New Zealand would be able to sell more cheese in Europe, despite most European Agriculture Ministers — the men who make the final decision — being opposed. Even the British Minister (Mr Silkin) told Mr MacIntyre that he could hold out no hope for a resumption of cheese trade.