Aust, butter imports sensitive subject’

Press, 16 July 1980, Page 2

Aust, butter imports sensitive subject’

PA - - New Plymouth The- New Zealand ■ Dairy Board reacted cautiously yesterday to. news that Australia might be interested in importing butter across the Tasman. ' The' - manager of the

board’s dairy information service, Mr N. Martin, said from Wellington that the question - of, New Zealand butter exports to Australia was sensitive.

No • formal restrictions appliejd- to New Zealand butter, sales across the Tasman and only- a. gentlemen’s agrSeMenti -Masit Stripping exports. The question of future exports was a matter of conjecture. When the Australians really wanted butter ffrom outside sources, New Zealand would no doubt hear from them, He said. S'

New Zealand was the logi cal source of supply' if Australia wanted to- import but ter, said Mr Martin. /

Mr Martin had been askpd to comment on a report from Brisbane tha. Queensland could be forced to import butter because of a threatening shortage of local supplies. The possible imports from New Zealand were foreshadowed yesterday by the Australian Dairy Corporation’s new chairman, Mr Malcolm Vawser.

Restrictions had already been imposed on butter

exports to safeguard Australia’s domestic supply.

Mr Vawser told a news conference in Brisbane that if dry weather significantly affected production it would hamper local supplies, reduced by a switch to cheesemaking in recent years and a big decline in the number of dairy farmers. However, the Veteran Affairs Minister (Mr Evan Adermann) told the Queensland Dairymen’s Organisation annual state conference that New Zealand would riot be allowed to" flood the local cheese market.