Mr Moore off to Europe today

Press, 7 October 1987, Page 4

Mr Moore off to Europe today

By

BRENDON BURNS,

political reporter

New Zealand’s case for continued butter exports to Britain has caused the Minister of Overseas Trade, Mr Moore, to leave for Europe today. Mr Moore is making the first of a number of Ministerial visits before the expiry next August of the present butter access agreement. “This will be a most difficult round,” he said. While the European Community had been reducing its dairy produc-

Hon, it was likely to argue that New Zealand should also accept quota cuts. Mr Moore said that argument was rejected as Europe had also expanded its percentage of world dairy trade from 10 per cent to 60 per cent In the last decade, affecting New Zealand’s markets. This year New Zealand’s European quota is 76.500 tonnes, reducing to 74.500 tonnes next year. It is a trade worth about $235 million a year to New Zealand, he said. “Half our butter is still going to Britain.” Mr Moore said he

would talk to Ministers in West Germany, >■ the Netherlands, . Denmark, Greece, Britain, and France during the? next month. Groups such as those representing consumers would also be lobbied.

A visit to Iraq was also planned, and a brief trip to Japan to open a new restaurant specialisng in New Zealand foods..

Next month, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Moyle, will visit Italy, Spain, Portugal and Ireland, presenting New Zealand’s case for butter access and other trade.