Italian market could open to N.Z. fruit

Press, 24 March 1984, Page 16

Italian market could open to N.Z. fruit

NZPA staff correspondent London New Zealand may be able to sell apples to Italy for the first time this year. “We are very confident we can get into the Italian market,” says the Apple and Pear Board’s European manager, Mr Neil Guymer. “After long endeavours it looks as though we could have some success there in the forthcoming season.” Italy has been importing apples from South Africa and South American countries but none were allowed in from New Zealand and Australia. No one knew what the reason was for the discrimination, Mr Guymer said.

He and the board’s chairman, Mr Ken Kiddle, talked to the Italian authorities last year and the New Zea-

land Embassy in Rome had also made representations. “It is not a huge market but it would be another useful outlet,” Mr Guymer said.

A luxury market would exist for the large-size red apples in summer. If enough pears were available there would also be a market for them. New Zealand sells more than 1000 tonnes of the big red apples to France and Austria.

The European Economic Community’s commission has been examining alleged Italian discrimination against New Zealand and

Australian apples and pears. Its agriculture commissioner, Mr Paul Dalsager, told the European Parliament that the E.E.C.s directive on protective measures against imports of plants or plant products was under scrutiny and member states were being questioned on measures they had introduced under the directive.

He was replying to a West German member, Mr Karl von Wogau, who said that the Italian Government had banned imports of apples and pears for plant protection reasons except from March 1 to May 31.

Fruit could be imported from South American countries and South Africa during the period. Apples and pears from New Zealand and Australia

could not be imported at any time of the year and this amounted to discrimination against these suppliers, Mr von Wogau said.

The Italian ban impaired free intra-Community trade in imported apples and pears and was merely a disguised form of protectionism designed to keep the products off the Italian • markets under the pretext J of protecting the health of j consumers, he said.

Mr Dalsager said that all E.E.C. members, including Italy, were being asked to justify the measures they had taken under the directive.

New Zealand has been selling kiwifruit to Italy for about three years.