Day 068 - 16 Dec 94 - Page 21

     
     1        if they feel there is some economic advantages with the
     2        same quality, if they feel that the customers will stop
     3        buying our hamburgers, if they feel that the quality of the
     4        local source is not up to our standards or it does not meet
     5        our requirements.
     6
     7   Q.   So even for a country like Australia, the policy on buying
     8        local products as far as possible can be waived; even if
     9        they can buy local products any time they like, night and
    10        day, millions of tonnes, they could still, if they want to,
    11        buy beef from another country?
    12        A.  Yes, they can.  That is what is stated in the policy,
    13        "as much as possible", so they have that option, yes, sir.
    14
    15   Q.   That has been the situation, has it, for as long as you
    16        know of, that you have heard about?
    17        A.  That is correct.
    18
    19   Q.   Since the company started, as far as you know?
    20        A.  As far as I know, that is a true statement.
    21
    22   Q.   Going back to Costa Rica, do you want to explain the setup
    23        of Coope Montecillos?  In reality, what happens?  You have
    24        the ranches, and then the beef arrives at slaughterhouses.
    25        How many slaughterhouses are there?
    26        A.  There is one.
    27
    28   Q.   What is that called?
    29        A.  It is part of the Coope Montecillos; it is a group of
    30        farmers who owns it, so the whole thing is called
    31        Coope Montecillos.
    32
    33   Q.   But what is the name of the slaughterhouse?
    34        A.  That is what I mean. It is the same complex.
    35
    36   Q.   Is it called the Division Barranca?
    37        A.  Barranca, yes.
    38
    39   Q.   What does that mean?
    40        A.  Division, of course, and Barranca is just a name, a
         description, of a cliff -- that is the translation.
    42
    43   Q.   So there is one slaughterhouse, and so all the beef that
    44        Coope Montecillos use goes to that slaughterhouse, or do
    45        they buy beef also from our slaughterhouses when they need
    46        it?
    47        A.  The whole group?  I am not sure.  I have never seen it,
    48        so I do not know.
    49
    50   Q.   You do not know? 
    51        A.  As far as I know, I do not know, it could very well be 
    52        that they do if they have a need. 
    53
    54   Q.   Coope Montecillos is a very, very large operation; yes?
    55        A.  For the size of Costa Rica?
    56
    57   Q.   Yes.
    58        A.  In their terms, it is.
    59
    60   Q.   Is it the largest in Costa Rica?