Agreement on butter expected

Press, 28 October 1982, Page 6

Agreement on butter expected

PA Wellington New Zealand's tentative 1983 butter export quota of 87.000 tonnes to the European Economic Community should stand in spite of French and Irish threats, said the E.E.C.'s Agriculture Commissioner. Mr Paul Dalsager, yesterday. After talks with the Mims-

ter of Overseas Trade, Mr Cooper. Mr Dalsager told journalists that he was confident that the commission’s own butter stockpile would be reduced. The size of the stockpile w r as the reason for the threat to block New’ Zealand's quota. Mr Dalsager, a former Danish Farm Minister, who

will spend five days in New Zealand, said that he believed the European countries would agree to export some of the stockpile to the Soviet Union, a condition that France and Ireland have set before they agree to New Zealand's quota. "This will affect in a positive way New’ Zealand's chances of maintaining its

butter quota.” he said. Mr Dalsager met Mr Cooper briefly, and will see him again today to talk about the post-1983 butter quota. Mr Dalsager said that he did not agree that New Zealand w-as fighting a losing battle in trying to maintain its butter exports to the E.E.C. countries.