Day 276 - 09 Jul 96 - Page 10
1 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes, I have but I think the answer is there.
2 Yes, thank you.
3
4 MS. STEEL: Do you know how you came to -- well, do you recall
5 how you came to be supplying beef to Mackies from Brazil?
6 A. No, I don't.
7
8 Q. You do not remember that at all?
9 A. No.
10
11 Q. Had you supplied beef to Mackies from this country prior to
12 that?
13 A. Yes.
14
15 Q. You had?
16 A. Yes.
17
18 Q. Right. And obviously David Walker you had known for a long
19 time. He used to work for Vesteys, I think?
20 A. Yes.
21
22 Q. Right. Can I just ask you one thing. In the document that
23 we have got there is a quote from Wedells about the price
24 of beef from Brazil and it is 69 pence a pound. Obviously,
25 that was in 1983. I think the UK price was 79 pence a
26 pound, and I think the price from Australia was something
27 like 90 pence. How does Brazilian beef that has been
28 imported into the UK get to be cheaper than the beef that
29 is available in the UK, which you to not have to pay all
30 the shipping costs for?
31 A. I don't know.
32
33 Q. You do not know?
34 A. No.
35
36 Q. Is it because the land is a lot cheaper in Brazil and the
37 costs of rearing the cattle?
38 A. I don't know.
39
40 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Well, it must, unless there is some great
41 government subsidy out there it must be cheaper costs of
42 production from whatever source or sources?
43 A. Yes, but I mean I do not know what the shipping costs
44 are, the duty costs are, that is why I cannot say. I am
45 not an expert, my Lord.
46
47 Q. No, I appreciate you would say that, but you know something
48 about the meat business?
49 A. Yes.
50
51 Q. And are there any obvious -- supposing that costs of
52 shipping does exist, is there any obvious cause for a
53 variation in price between Brazilian beef in this country
54 and British beef in this country, other than costs of
55 production?
56 A. Well, Brazilian beef would presumably be either chilled
57 or frozen and that is cheaper than fresh beef. People
58 prefer fresh beef. And we are subsidised in this country,
59 as you know, to produce through the Common Market.
60
