U.S. fighting E.C. hormone ban

Press, 27 June 1987, Page 7

U.S. fighting E.C. hormone ban

PA Wellington The United States and the European Economic Community (E.C.) could be headed for a trade war over the use of growthpromoting hormones in meat-producting stock, says Dr Alan Royal, chief veterinary officer of MafQual. Dr Royal, speaking to the meat and wool section of Federated Farmers’ annua] meeting, was recently in Brussels to discuss the issue with E.C. officials. The E.C. has banned the use of natural and artificial hormones beginning in 1988 in a bid to reduce meat production. Britain has a year of grace before having to comply with the ban.

Almost all New Zealand beef exports to the E.C. are offal, which will have to be monitored to ensure only non-hormone products are exported to the E.C. Fifteen per cent of New Zealand farmers use the hormones.

The United States is fighting the ban “within G.A.T.T. as a matter of principle rather than about hormone use as such,” Dr Royal said. The United States views the ban as a non-tariff trade barrier and against the G.A.T.T. accord.

E.C. officials agreed that confrontation between the United States and the E.C. could lead to a trade war and that Third World countries could suffer, he saicT. Delegates to the conference also heard a strong appeal for continued use of growth promotants from Australian Cattle Council member, Mr Bob Coombes. ■ ■ : : ■ ' Mr Coombes estimated the hormones increased

net returns to Australian farmers by sAust6o million a year.

The French were the Europeans most reluctant to accept the ban, Dr Royal said.

Three brands of hor-

mone are approved for use in Australia while only one is allowed in New Zealand. Hpwever, a “second generation” is under development that will widen application to sheep. Use of these in New Zealand will require costly monitoring procedures to ensure continued access to E.C. markets for New Zealand sheepmeats. Monitoring offal would be comparatively inexpensive.

The Ministry of Agriculture had no attitude toward the use of hormones at all, Dr Royal said. “All the evidence indicates there is no danger in using them." ?

Mr Coombes said the Japanese, ’who also used growth promotants, appeared to want to keep the issue quiet. A remit put to the conference to ban the hormones in New Zealand was lost. -