Day 066 - 14 Dec 94 - Page 42
1 totality, I would say, three times. It is a co-operative.
2
3 Q. It is a co-operative, as you rightly say?
4 A. Yes, and we have made a decision that we could not live
5 with that. We have more than just company relationship.
6 We have people relationship. And, as you would understand,
7 it is very difficult to have a relationship with people
8 that are being replaced sometimes on a monthly basis.
9
10 Q. So what have you done about it?
11 A. What we have done is that we have developed a new
12 supplier that is currently producing the majority of our
13 products in Costa Rica and we are in the process of phasing
14 out Coope Montecillos.
15
16 Q. Where do the new suppliers get their cattle from in Costa
17 Rica?
18 A. In Costa Rica is from an area called Guanacaste and it
19 is a dry forest. It would be, if I can describe it, it
20 will be when you see a picture of African TV, of small
21 brushes, it is dry. That is the conditions that these
22 cattle is grown under and it has been a cattle area since
23 the 1500s for definitely more than 100 years.
24
25 Q. In 1992 you were still dealing with Coope Montecillos?
26 A. Yes.
27
28 Q. I think it was a man called Rodolfo Madrigal?
29 A. That is correct.
30
31 Q. Who sent you this fax?
32 A. Right. He is a McDonald's person and he is still with
33 the company.
34
35 Q. I see. Did you at that time know the Coope Montecillos
36 people?
37 A. Yes, I did.
38
39 Q. Did you know at that time where Coope Montecillos got their
40 Costa Rican beef?
41 A. That is correct.
42
43 Q. Did you know?
44 A. Yes, I did know.
45
46 Q. What part of country is that?
47 A. It is the same part of the country, the area called
48 Guanacaste.
49
50 MS. STEEL: Can I just ask how that is spelt?
51
52 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes. Could you spell it out? Just say the
53 letters. You were going to write it down?
54 A. G-U-A-N-A-C-A-S-T-E.
55
56 MR. RAMPTON: Dr. Gomez Gonzales, do you know where the Procarne
57 people in Guatemala get their beef?
58 A. Yes, I do.
59
60 Q. Whereabouts in the country is that?
