N.Z. lamb ‘will be needed’ in Europe

Press, 14 November 1978, Page 23

N.Z. lamb ‘will be needed’ in Europe

: The president of the NatI ional Farmers Union in i England (Sir Henry Plumb) sees a continuing market for New Zealand lamb in Britain and Europe. It was put to Sir Henry in Christchurch that New Zealand farm leaders and producers were concerned that •under a sheep meats regulaitton. prices to the consumer I in the European Economic 'Community, and especially in Britain, might rise so high that consumption would be seriously curtailed. Sir Henry said that from the British viewpoint they did not want to see a price in Europe that would lower consumption. In fact, they wanted to see consumption increase. He said that the potential for increased consumption in Europe is considerable. Annual sheep meat consumption in France was no more than 4 lb per head, in Germany about 6 lb, and in the United Kingdom about 24 lb, he said. European production could not possibly supply the requirements of the market. Sir Henry said that in Britain they had never seen New Zealand lamb as a real I competitor with United lamb, for the I simple reason that it

reached the market when I a very limited supplies of the! x local product were available and in this way kept lamb r before the public for the n whole year. He could see the same happening in other parts of Europe, too. This meant, he said, that ' within a regulation, satisfacj tory arrangements would have to be made for sheepr farmers in Europe and also c for the importation of sheep--1 meat from New Zealand. 7 Sir Henry sees a sheep-i , meat regulation emerging after the European Court; has reached a decision on! ; the situation involving ’ France. France restricted imports r of sheep meats from Britain ’ but made a deal with the 1 Republic of Ireland, knowing that the amount of imports 1 from that source would be n limited. He does not anticipate i- that this decision will be o made until the next Northn ern Hemisphere spring — in n March or a little later, it In the meantime, the details of any regulation d were being considered by i- farming organisations in countries of the Community, n he said. n Sir Henry has been in djNew Zealand to attend meetd ings of the executive comelmittee of the International t| Federation of Agricultural

ijProducers, and he said that! ilthe visit of people from Eur-j hope had enabled them to ob-i ) tain a clearer understanding : of the marketing problems’ > of New Zealand farmers and! - traders. He said he understood the) l concern of New Zealand • farmers about the 20 per I cent tariff on sheepmeat ’ -ientering the European Econ-! domic Community, including ■! Britain. But he did not think the tariff would be reduced, ■•until there was a more sen-1 ’jsible monetary system in :i Europe. i 1 It was hoped that a solu-| ;!tion to this would be found ! before too long. Then, he I s'said the tariff would be con-| i sidered, and probably reduc-| i ed. > Sir Henry said that he ; could not envisage major! ! problems ahead as far as lamb was concerned. But he ! was quite convinced that ! New Zealand should be on - hand, putting its case, trying i to negotiate a satisfactory deal. : One of the things that had i impressed him on his i present visit was the way i that wool was handled, he , said. It was encouraging to know that wool of the high i quality produced in New! -•Zealand had come back into! -lits own and was very much! Ila competitor with synthetic! I ‘fibres.