Record Dairy Sales To Japan

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31098, 29 June 1966, Page 3

Record Dairy Sales To Japan

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 28. Japan bought 13,200 tons of skim - milk powder from New Zealand in the season ended May 31, the general manager of the Dairy Board (Mr A. H. Ward) said today. Japan’s purchases of New Zealand butter, cheese and

all milk powders were a record, he said. She also bought large tonnages of casein.

The outcome of discussions between Britain and New Zealand which the chairman of the board (Sir Andrew Linton) was attending were most important to the dairy industry, said Mr Ward, but it was also necessary to find outlets for the increased production being achieved by dairy farmers in meeting nation target requirements. Of the 13,200 tons, 10,000 tons was for the Japanese school-lunch programme. “This is the first time an

exporting country other than the United States has obtained a contract to supply milk powder for the Japanese school-lunch programme,” said Mr Ward.

It was through the schoollunch programme that large numbers of Japanese had acquired a taste for milk and dairy products and this was of increasing commercial significance as more of these children became wageearners.

The prospects for growth were considerable. New Zealand was already the major supplier of casein to the Japanese market and the success

achieved with milk powder meant that sales of all New Zealand dairy produce to Japan were now running at an annual rate of about 28,000 tons.

Mr Ward said the board’s policy of paying the closest possible attention to the Japanese market was bringing results.

Representatives of the board were .now almost constantly in Japan, and the Japanese agents and buyers were frequent visitors to New Zealand. The increased personal opproach was paying dividends. “In the board's view,

Japan’s importance as a customer of the New Zealand dairy industry will continue to grow,” he said. “The Japanese people are turning more and more to the higher protein foods, and there is no doubt their taste for milk and milk products is growing rapidly. “There are still barriers to trade which we would like to see removed, and the New Zealand Government is fully ; aware of our views on this. For our part, we are confident that given reasonable access to the market, we can continue to make progress in the years immediately ahead.”