Move approved towards board

Press, 24 October 1980, Page 15

Move approved towards board

A widely attended meeting of deer farmers in Christchurch this week, without dissent, recommended to a special meeting of the New Zealand Deer Farmers’ Association in Rotorua next week that the council of the association should be authorised, in consultation with the Government, to draw up draft legislation for the establishment of a Game Industry Marketing Board. It was proposed as well that the draft proposals should be ratified at the annual general meeting of the association in Christchurch next year before being enacted. There was some feeling that the proposed name of the organisation was a misnomer and one suggestion was that it would be better called the New Zealand Deer Industry Authority. The president of the association, Mr P. H. Elworthy, made it clear, in response to comments at the meeting, that there was no question of the authority compulsorily acquiring venison or other deer products and marketing them — this was far away from their minds. It would do no marketing itself and would have no more powers than the Meat Board having only a role of monitoring market 3 ing performance. While it was stated that it would not be possible to put to the special meeting in Rotorua next week full details of the proposed authority, it was felt desirable that the

membership of the association should make a decision in principle as to whether it wanted some sort of organisation to oversee the industry, as this was felt vital if venison was to be processed and marketed as game meat and that connotation retained. Fears were expressed that its distinctive place as a game meat might be lost if it was processed through freezing works and classed as meat, as could well happen if there was not a clear indication from farmers of their wishes.

The meeting was told that in the restaurants of

Europe Game was in a separate listing from other meats and was higher priced. As game meat vension also entered the European Economic Community with a five per cent dutv compared with 10 per cent for lamb following the completion of the recent agreement between New Zealand and the community and the implementation of a sheep meat regulation. The need is seen also for deer being slaughtered through approved deer slaughtering premises to comply with the requirements of overseas customers and particularly when other meat products in

New Zealand are having to comply with strict hygiene standards.

The meeting was told that deer farmers should reach a decision, at least in principle, on a move towards an over-all authority for the industry with some urgency and with a high, proportion of them supporting it. if the Government was to be convinced of their wishes and the special place of venison was to be- retained. Otherwise it was indicated that the Government was likely to abandon present licensing provisions leaving it open for venison to be processed through freezing works.