Day 276 - 09 Jul 96 - Page 11


     
     1   Q.   Yes.
     2        A.  And therefore presumably that might affect it, but I
     3        cannot possibly go into the ramifications of how and why,
     4        whether it is 69, 79, 89 or 99.
     5
     6   Q.   Yes.
     7
     8   MS. STEEL:  Well, do you remember whether there were subsidies
     9        from the Brazilian government for the use of land for
    10        cattle ranching?
    11        A.  I didn't say that did I?
    12
    13   Q.   No, I am asking?
    14        A.  No, I do not remember there being subsidies.
    15
    16   Q.   Right.  In the letter that you wrote to David Walker in
    17        1983 you refer to the 200,000 head of cattle killed there
    18        annually being bred on the natural scrub plains of the
    19        states of Minas Goias and Mato Grosso.
    20
    21   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Ought we not to have the reference?
    22
    23   MS. STEEL:  In a second, yes.  And also on the extensive flood
    24        plains of the River Paraguy, that would not have all been
    25        Vestey's own land would it?
    26        A.  No.
    27
    28   Q.   Right.  Would you have visited all the areas, all the farms
    29        that were supplying the beef?
    30        A.  No.
    31
    32   Q.   No.  Do you visit any of the farms that were not owned by
    33        Vestey?
    34        A.  No.
    35
    36   Q.   Right.  And did you have anything to do with the side of
    37        the business in Brazil that was purchasing these cattle?
    38        A.  Me personally, no.
    39
    40   Q.   Right.  So you could not help us with exactly the areas
    41        where they were coming from?
    42        A.  No.
    43
    44   Q.   Right.  If you want to get out the letter, it should be in
    45        yellow 11 on the shelves behind you.  Somebody might help
    46        you, actually.
    47        A.  Where would you like me to go now?
    48
    49   Q.   Actually, before we go to the letter can I just ask you a
    50        couple of other questions?  The cattle are reared around
    51        Brazil in various places and then they would be taken to
    52        San Paulo or nearer your processing plant for fattening, is
    53        that correct?
    54        A.  Some cattle.  There are a lot of cattle reared around
    55        Brazil.  Some of those cattle would be take to Sau Paulo
    56        and fattened because the Sau Paulo grass and land is better
    57        than other bits.
    58
    59   Q.   Right?
    60        A.  And that would be near our plant in Barretos.

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