Russia cuts meat imports 'to save’

Press, 22 August 1978, Page 21

Russia cuts meat imports 'to save’

1 NZPA-Reuter Moscow! The Soviet Union has rei frained from its customary I meat purchases in the world 1 : market so far this year ini an apparent attempt to save: ' foreign currency for higher-! i priority purchase, according to Western diplomatic' (sources. Traditional suppliers of) 1 beef and mutton, including) I New Zealand and Australia,! 'which sold a combined total) of more than 130,000 tonnes I ito the Soviet Union last) i year, have not received al i single order so far. Neither) have Argentina and Uru-i i guay, also suppliers in the I past.

! The reason given by Rus-1 sian officials for the lack ofj . orders was that domestic | production was meeting de-| tnand but diplomats were far) I from convinced, said the) I sources. Although no accurate ■ independent check was possible, reports from travellers , suggested that red meal was ;) readily available in only ! three cities: Moscow, Kiev, II and Leningrad. ! There were clear signs ;! that the Soviet Union 11 wanted to save foreign curI rency for grain purchases,! ■) fuel-industry technology, and! the Olympic Games in Mos-1 cow in 1980.