Talks ‘encouraging’

Press, 28 May 1979, Page 1

Talks ‘encouraging’

Talks between the Government and the Agriculture Commissioner for the European Economic Commission (Mr F. O. Gundelach) had broken new ground, said Mr Gundelach in Christchurch yesterday, “We can see a path ahead, and we can start going down that path about July.” he said. However, no commitment had been made concerning access for New Zealand butter after 1980, or the proposed sheepmeat

regime which had been delayed for about three months. Mr Gundelach left Christchurch for Sydney yesterday after a six-day visit, in which he had talks with the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon), the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mr Taiboys), the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling), the Dairy Board, the Meat Board. and Federated Farmers. He also visited farms. New Zealand could expect a decision on butter quotas and sheepmeat

when these discussions finished some time in July. “New Zealand can be optimistic about the future,” he said. His talks in the last six days had been “exploratory.” Some “real work” lay ahead for negotiators in settling the two issues. No post-1980 entitlement figure for butter has been decided, but reports have suggested that New Zealand might not sell up to its 120.000-tonne entitlement in Britain this year. The 1980 entitlement is 115,000 tonnes.