Dairy Tariffs An Outrage

Thursday, 1 July 1999, 10:52 am
Press Release: Unknown

1 July 1999

Tariffs imposed on New Zealand dairy exports cost New Zealand farmers approximately $700m last year.

The new National Chairman of Dairy Farmers of New Zealand, Charlie Pedersen, said today that this demonstrated why farmers must support New Zealand's participation in APEC and the World Trade Organisation to achieve freer world trade.

The $700m equates to $46,600 each for New Zealand's 15,000 dairy farmers. This enormous cost would continue until world agricultural trade is reformed.

"This comes straight out of our pockets and into the coffers of foreign governments, who often further twist the knife by using the money to subsidise their own dairy farmers' production, so as to compete with our own," Mr Pedersen said.

"This process is little short of theft and does nothing but reduce our returns. New Zealand must continue to back organisations such as the World Trade Organisation and APEC, because they are the best opportunity for small nations to improve trade access."

ENDS

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