E.E.C. dumping bill $726M

Press, 15 May 1985, Page 10

E.E.C. dumping bill $726M

NZPA-Reuter Brussels The European Economic Community spent SNZ726 million last year deliberately dumping or ruining more than two million tonnes of fruit and vegetables to defend high prices paid to farmers. The figures, leaked from the Community’s executive commission yesterday by the European Parliament’s British Labour group, meant

that each minute more than 5000 oranges and lemons, 1600 peaches and 90kg of apricots were destroyed. Thousands of tonnes of fruit and vegetables were also turned into animal feed or distilled into alcohol. “The increased cost of this mad Common Market policy of destroying good food is mind boggling,” said a British Labour European Parliamentarian, Janey Buchan, who obtained the

figures. The figures, confirmed by European Commission officials, show that dumping and destruction of oranges rose 5Vz times last year while four times as many lemons were ruined compared with 1983. Diplomats said the citrus fruit problem would become much more serious when Spain and Portugal join the bloc next year.