Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton spoke with British
counterpart Nick Brown this morning about measures taken by
New Zealand against European beef imports.
Mr Sutton made
the call on the basis of the good personal relationship
between the two ministers and the fact that these broader
measures were relevant to the ban on British beef which has
been in place for some time.
Mr Sutton said he told Mr
Brown that the suspension of imports would be in place till
New Zealand and Australia had a certification scheme up and
running.
The certification scheme would provide additional
assurances on the safety of beef products entering New
Zealand. Mr Sutton said it was expected to take some weeks
to get a scheme in place.
The total ban on beef and beef
products from European countries would remain till
then.
"The British are naturally concerned about the
length of time a full ban will remain in place."
Mr Sutton
said the key was to strike the right balance between science
and public concern.
The two ministers agreed to keep in
touch on the issue.
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