MEAT EXPORT TRADE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22365, 12 September 1934, Page 10

MEAT EXPORT TRADE

IMPOSITION OF' QUOTAS NO NEED TO BE PESSIMISTIC (Pei United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, September 11. New Zealand producers had no need vet to be pessimistic when considering quotas, said Mr David Jones,’chairman of the Meat Producers’ Board, addressing a meeting of farmers at Cheviot this evening. Mr Jones described the recent meat trade legislation passed in the Argentine, indicating the nature of the control which might be necessary in New Zealand, if quotas were imposed. Thik legislation gave wide powers to a board to control not only the meat exported, but for local consumption. The New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board had made very , determined efforts to secure for the pig products of the Dominion a larger share of the British markets, and unless the board succeeded the Dominion was likely in a short time to meet the same position as had to be met in Denmark and Holland. The only really serious problem New Zealand had to meet was in the beef exports. It' wag not generally understood that Great Britain produced more than half the beef she consumed. If a levy were to be made on imported beef to raise the price of cattle to the British farmer the levy would. have to be substantial. He did not think a levy would he a solution of the difficulty, and New Zealand could most definitely not agree to it. .

Mr Jones said it was a misconception to imagine that the quotas being discussed were the result of the Ottawa Conference. Ottawa established the principles of the quota because Great Britain made it abundantly clear that she could not allow the whole of the world’s surplus of meat to be dumped on her markets to the ruin of her farmers. Fortunately, the reductions —and they were very substantial—had been made almost entirely at the expense of the foreigner. If thene were no Ottawa agreement Britain would, no doubt, already have made.drastic regulations, but New Zealand had a great safeguard till the term of the agreement expired.