U.S. might buy more butter from N.Z.

Press, 23 April 1979, Page 2

U.S. might buy more butter from N.Z.

NZPA London New Zealand’s butter exports to the United States might soon increase dramatically. Only a token 150 tonnes goes to the United States market now, all to Hawaii, but the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Rowling) has said in London there are hopeful signs that the Americans will allow more imports. He met the United States Secretary of Agriculture (Mr Bob Bergland) in Washington last week and Mr Bergland said he believed New Zealand could negotiate for increased access. No specific tonnage was

mentioned but there were indications it would be better than the level New Zealand is getting for cheese to Britain under the multilateral trade negotiations in Geneva. New Zealand will get resumed access for 9500 [tonnes of cheddar and,* (according to other sources I in London, the Americans (may allow in as much as I 112,000 tonnes. ' Mr Bergland had said negotiations could begin once (the details were completed [on the Geneva agreement, (Mr Rowling said. “I would ;urge the Government to reactivate' the bilateral dis-

cussions with the United States. Mr Bergland held out a hope.” It has been suggested for some time that the Americans would allow more New Zealand butter into their market, but Mr Bergland’s comments were the most ; positive so far, Mr Rowling spent part of (his time in the United States *in Wisconsin, where his son l is a Field Service scholar, and said that dairy interests there, one of the main dairyproducing states, had told him the American market* could easily absorb much greater quantities of New * Zealand butter.