British butchers pledge backing for N.Z. lamb

Press, 16 May 1979, Page 21

British butchers pledge backing for N.Z. lamb

NZPA London French moves to curb New Zealand lamb supplies to Britain must be prevented at all costs, a national meeting of British butchers in Harrogate, Yo"kshire. has been told. Mr Vic Turton, of Exeter, the newly elected pre-ident of the National Federation of Meat Traders, spoke about French attitudes in his inaugural address to the association. He said that the French would, without doubt, seek the early introduction of a sheepmeat regime if. as expected the European Court ruled against France’s present tariff barriers against British lamb. The court’s ruling, after a complaint from Britain, is expected next month.

Britain complained that the French restrictions on British lamb were contrary to the Treaty of Rome, the charter by which the functions. which calls for free trade between member countries. A similar case brought against Britain recently by the Netherlands. because of a ban on •>OlBlO imports, was upheld. Mr Turton said that the French would want a sheepmeal regulation to reduce the danger they foresaw to their lamb industry if British producers >ver«> allowed to flood the Frtf.ch market with their Io” er-priced products. “I would not be surprised if they would want quotas imposed on third-

country imports," he said "This must be prevented a' a'l costs." Mr Turton said that part of the Conservative Government’s policy said the European Community could not benefit by reiving substantially on buying food on the world market "I do not know whether this holds good for other commodities but, in our trade, the right to import at will is essential, and we will continue to seek the right o f access to our traditional sources of supply from third countries," Mr 1 urton said. "Most important of these is, of course New Zealand, from where we have imported more than half the lamb consumed in Brit .in for many years ”