Ban on E.E.C. butter sought

Press, 3 November 1984, Page 7

Ban on E.E.C. butter sought

NZPA-AAP Melbourne The Australian Federal Government has been asked to ban all imports of dairy products from the European Economic Community. The request by the Australian Dairy Fanners’ Federation came after talks in Melbourne with the Departments of Trade and Primary Industry. The president of the Dairy Farmers’ Federation, Mr John Bennett, said there was “every likelihood” that the E.E.C. would proceed with the sale of 200,000 tonnes of butter at 30 per cent below the agreed minimum price. This had lost Australia prospective overseas sales of 20,000 tonnes of butter, he said.

Mr Bennett said the EJE.C. had said it would release 200,000 tonnes of surplus butter at an average ?Aust.B3s a tonne compared with the General Agreement

Tariffs and Trade international dairy minimum of sAust.l22o a tonne. This included 100,000 tonnes of “aged” butter of more than 18 months old at $450 a tonne. Talks in Geneva under the international dairying agreement had seen the European Community admit its actions and refuse to reverse them, Mr Bennett said. Although the E.E.C. had agreed to talks in Brussels soon with the Australian and New Zealand Governments there was doubt that the situation would change. The E.E.C. action might be only the first dumping from its 1.3 million tonne butter stockpile, he said. If the dumping extended to wheat and beef the implications were “horrifying.” The E.E.C. decision could eventually mean the loss of up to 8000 Australian dairymen from the industry, Mr Bennett said.