U.K. farmers want N.Z. butter ban

Press, 16 February 1980, Page 2

U.K. farmers want N.Z. butter ban

NZPA London British dairy farmers have called for an end to imports of New Zealand butter. Members of the National Farmers’ Union, in an angry annual meeting, called for Britain to pull out of the European Economic Community, and several dairy farmers spoke out against the 115.000 tonnes of butter New Zealand is entitled to sell in Britain this year. “Anchor” butter is the biggest-selling single brand on the market, at times taking up to 40 per cent of total sales. The attitude of the farmers was denounced later by the New Zealand DairyBoard's European director, Mr M. Gough, who called it disappointing and difficult to believe. The anti-New Zealand attack was led by a Yorkshire farmer, Mr Peter Hutchinson. who said of New Zealand butter: “We want it stopped. Unfair imports which undermine the marketplace are an undue burden we cah’t bear.” He won support from a Gloucestershire farmer, Mr Howard Organ, who said

I that there was no reason for Britain's sheep and dairy farmers to feel . sentimental about New Zealand. The N.F.U.’s official posi-j tion is for New Zealand access to be phased out to allow the gap to be filled by: British production. j However, the N.F.U. attitude is not that of the Brit-] ish Government, and the Agriculture Minister (..Mr! Peter Walker) has given New Zealand several assurances that he will support the highest level of continued New Zealand access after the present arrangement expires at the end of this year. Mr Gough said that he was disappointed about the demands for an end to New Zealand imports. “Given the close friendship and historic ties between the farmers and farming organisations of our two countries, I cannot believe that this demand represents! the official N.F.U. attitude,”i he said. The British butter market was “absolutely. vital” not only to the New Zealand dairy industry but to the country’s entire economy.

I New Zealand was in no way 'responsible for the E.E.C. ibutter mountain — its total i quota for 1980 was equivalent to only. 6 per cent of I the total Community produc-i Ition, Mr Gough said. j • He said that less than half] I the butter sold in Britain] was produced by British! farmers, and a ban on New Zealand would simply cause I even more imports from other E.E.C. countries. In Paris, a prize sheep: called Kiki, dressed up in the French flag and accorh-l panied by . sheepfarmerswalking on stilts, yesterday! led a 4000-member demonstration against imported lamb through the city’s boulevards. The farmers carried banners and shouted slogans attacking sheep imports, mainly from Britain but also from New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina. They are concerned that I the E.E.C. might seek to enforce its ruling that France I has placed illegal restrictions on the import of British lamb. One of their main complaints is that Britain imports cheap lamb from New Zealand.