MEDIA STATEMENT ENBARGOIED UNTIL 11AM, SUNDAY 24 JULY 1999

Prime Minister Announces Roving Agricultural Trade Ambassador

Prime Minister Jenny Shipley today announced the appointment of a Special Trade Envoy for New Zealand, at the Federated Farmers Annual Conference in New Plymouth.

"I am delighted to announce that Mr Malcolm Bailey, President of Federated Farmers, has been appointed Special Agriculture Trade Envoy for New Zealand.

"Mr Bailey's appointment has been made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He will be a Special Envoy with Ambassadorial status.

"His role will to be to promote and defend New Zealand's agricultural trading interests in such key agriculture export markets as the European Union, the United States and Japan."

Mrs Shipley said that Mr Bailey would undertake a major programme of meetings with overseas farmers and farm groups, attend conferences and speak to the international media.

"His role will be vital in engaging groups such as United States sheep farmers and European farming lobbies on the benefits of free and fair trade in agricultural products.

"Mr Bailey is widely respected as someone capable of promoting agricultural trade. He is able to speak from experience about the benefits of the New Zealand approach to non-subsidisation of agriculture and to reflect the views of the New Zealand farmer overseas.

"As we head into the next round of World Trade Organisation negotiations, influencing the views of agriculture lobby's abroad, as well as those of consumers and taxpayers, will be crucial to advancing New Zealand's objectives. I welcome Mr Bailey's appointment as a significant step towards this goal," Mrs Shipley said.

ENDS

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