Wattle all right

Press, 16 April 1982, Page 10

Wattle all right

PA Hastings The Government's move to cut export suspensory loans to major food processors will not affect exports by J. Wattie Canneries, Ltd, the firm's managing director (Mr R. K. Wattie) said yesterday. He was commenting on an announcement last night in Tasmania by New Zealand’s Minister of Trade and Industry (Mr Templeton) that some export foods from New Zealand would not be eligible for the suspensory loans. Those ineligible are frozen peas and beans, fresh mushrooms, frozen corn, processed potato products, processed mushrooms and canned corn. Mr Wattie said the fact his firm would no longer qualify for the loans would not, on

its own, have any effect on its exports. The help the company had received from the Government scheme was of “minor significance,” he said. "It is to be hoped that New Zealand negotiators achieved a compensating success in reducing some of the large subsidies paid by the Australian State and Federal Governments to their vegetable processors. *.;■ “I refer particularly to the freight subsidy between the large growing areas in Tasmania and markets on mainland Australia,” said Mr Wattie. "The announcement from Australia came as a surprise to us as we have had no indication of this concession to the Australian vegetable industry."