Government To Study Air-freighting Of Meat

Press, Volume C, Issue 29506, 6 May 1961, Page 12

Government To Study Air-freighting Of Meat

(from Our Oum Reporter)

WELLINGTON, May 5. A special Government inter-departmental committee will examine the possibilities of employing cargo planes to fly New Zealand produce across the Pacific, and perhaps even further afield. The Minister of Civil Aviation (Mr McAlpine) said tonight that the committee would include representatives of the Civil Aviation Administration and the Departments of Agriculture and Industries and Commerce. It would probably be headed by the air secretary (Mr B. R. Rae) or his deputy.

The committee will study, in detail, the economics of the proposition, and will examine a possible widening of membership to include perhaps representatives ot producer boards and other bodies. Mr McAlpine’s announcement was made after talks with a three-man deputation from the Waikato branch of Federated Farmers, which has long championed a project to air-freight meat to the United States. It is not known how long the committee studies will take, but it will report back

to a joint meeting with Mr McAlpine, the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Hayman) and delegates from the Waikato branch of Federated Farmers. Earlier today, Mr McAlpine had a brief session with Mr Wellwood E. Beall, a vice-president for sales of the Boeing Aircraft Corporation, who, it is understood, is seeking to sell aircraft specially designed for freighting primary produce. After this meeting, Mr McAlpine said that the Government had no present plans to buy such planes.