Mr Kennedy’s Iran visit 'all to good’

Press, 2 June 1979, Page 3

Mr Kennedy’s Iran visit 'all to good’

PA Wellington While the Meat Board and exporters puzzle over whether they can meet Iran’s request for 50,000 tonnes of lamb, it has been revealed that the secretary of the Meat Workers’ Union (Mr A. J. Kennedy), has made an unpublicised visit to Teheran. Mr Kennedy, whose union refused to comment on his visit, told Radio New Zealand yesterday that he thought there was “a very great potential” for New Zealand exports if the price and quality was right. He said he had promised Iranian officials his union’s “utmost co-operation” in assisting Muslim slaughtermen to come and work in New Zealand if necessary.

The recent Iranian meat delegation to New Zealand

had been impressed with what they saw, he said, and he thought they shared his view that New Zealand was one of the world’s most efficient meat producers. But Mr Kennedy said he had reiterated his union’s opposition to exports of live animals and this position was understood by the Iranians.

A Meat Board spokesman, Mr J. Cornwell, told NZPA yesterday that the board knew Mr Kennedy was going to Iran, but did not have any details of what he was to talk about. He welcomed Mr Kennedy’s statements in yesterday’s interview, saying: “Anything he can do to encourage understanding and advance this project must be all to the good.” He said the board would welcome Mr Kennedy’s statement that the Meat Workers' Union would assist Muslim slaughtermen coming to New Zealand. “There is a very definite prospect that they would nave to come to meet an order of this size, and they would have to work side by side with New Zealand unionists. There has to be under-

standing and Mr Kennedy’s statement can only be most useful.’ 1 The Meat Board and exporters say the biggest problem for Nev.: Zealand in considering the Iranian request is supply. Supplying such tonnages to Iran could make it difficult for New Zealand to meet the regular demand from established and more stable markets in Europe and the United States. Meat companies are thought to be reluctant to become involved until the cuestion of lamb slaughtering has been resolved. The Islamic practices could involve them in higher costs. The Iranians want shipments to begin later this

year with an initial quantity of 50,000 tonnes. This is nearly double lamb exports to Iran in the 1977-78 season.

Mr Cornwell said that no report had yet been received from the delegation which visited New Zealand. As far as the board knew, Ayatollah Khomeiny’s instruction that meat be slaughtered in line with Islamic law still stood.

It appeared that the basic question facing the New Zealand industry was whether the Iranian market was stable enough to promote the investment and diversion from other markets likely to be necessary to meet the 50,000 tonne order. The Government was not formally told of Mr Kennedy’s visit to Iran. However the Minister of Labour (Mr Bolger) said yesterday that he knew in advance from a discussion with Mr Kennedy on another matter. He passed the information un to the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Maclntyre). The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Overseas Trade (Mr Taiboys) said he did not know Mr Kennedy had gone to Iran.