BEEF INDUSTRY

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20084, 13 November 1930, Page 25

BEEF INDUSTRY

Increase in Herds

A SUBSTANTIAL RECOVERY

BETTER BULLS.

IRISH FREE STATE POLICY. NON-LICENSING OF "SCRUBS." One of the most instructive features o£ the New Zealand Farmers' tour of the British Isles and the Continent was the policy in force in the Irish Free State to improve the breed of cattle. Mr G. H. Judd, of Waddington, a member of the touring party, forwards ua a booklet dealing with the cattle improvement schemes in the Free State, fro.m which extracts are taken. It might surprise readers to know that in the Free State the cattle exceed in number those in New Zealand, the total being over four millions as against New Zealand's 3} millions, whilst dairy cows arc nearly the same—l,33o,ooo as against 1,440,000. Taking into account both export and home consumption, the total output of dairy produce in the Free State is estimated at £8,0.00,000, and of stores (exported to England) and beef £20,000,000. The basio breed is ; the Shorthorn of the dual-purpose type,'which has 'been "bred up" for nearly a century. Ia 1836 an English judge at the Dublin Boyal Show said that if English breeders did not look to themselves and Improve their cattle, Ireland would booh beat them.

When the market for beef collapsed after the war, a decrease in beef cattle production set in, the decline from 1922 to 1,928 being no less than 264,000 head. As the total figures averaged round about 2,000,000 head, this decrease formed a heavy percentage. However, the harmful effect the reduction in the herds was having in the handling of pastures was not long in being realised, and this, in combination with the fact that the market for beef for local consumption improved,- caused a check in the downward movement, and this last two years a definite recovery in numbers has taken place. Whereas cattle "other than dairying" numbered 1,908,841 in 1928, the figure reached 2,075,727 in 1929, and 2,325,347 in 1930. An increase of 416,506 l-ead in two years is little short of remarkable, and makes our beef cattle figures a record. In 1928 "all cattle" numbered 3,236,804 head} in 1930, 3,765,668.

Under the present law the various County Committees of Agriculture, which are statutory bodies, offer annually a number of subsidies in the form of premiums valued from £ls to £22 (according to breed) for high-class bulls of specified breeds on condition that cow-owners have the use of such bulls at, a small fee. The County Committees select the applicants, and such persons purchase bulls 4t certain recognised spring sales, where the Department's inspectors attend to Select bulls suitable for premium purposes. How the Help ie Given. The Department gives loans when necessary to enable farmers to buy premium bulls; the loan is two-thirds of the purchase P rl eo, and is repayable in two annual instalments. Provided they are properly cared for and develop well, bulls are eligible for premiums for four years, and in the case of dairy bull# for any number of years the animals remain useful for breeding purposes. The bulls are inspected each year at convenient local centres to ensure that they are well cared for. The breeds recognised in the scheme are Shorthorn, Dairy Shorthorn, Aber* deen-AnguS, Hereford, Kerry and Galloway. The County Committee of Agriculture of each county decides which of the recognised breeds are to be subsidised. In some counties all the breeds mentioned are included, whilst in others the premiums are confined to one or two breeds. In addition to the scheme operated by the County Committees arrangements are made by the Department for the location of premium bulls on special terms in tho congested districts situated on the Western seaboard. The average number of premium buJls standing for service each year in all Ireland from 1901 to 1921 inclusive, was over 1000, and the number for the Irish Free State in 1927 was 2205.

In 1924 the Minister for Agriculture, after consulting the various interests concerned, introduced in the Dail a Bill "to make provision for the regulation and improvement of bulls and other live stock." ing Act became law, and was brought into operation in so far as it related to bulls by order of the Minister on September 30th, 1925,' on and after which date it is an offence under the Act to keep or have possession of a bull of the prescribed age without a licence or permit. A license authorises the holder to keep for breeding purposes the bull referred to therein for tho lifetime of t*o animal, but the license may be revoked if a bull becomes infected with a contagious or infectious disease or becomes otherwise unsuitable for breeding purposes. A transfer of license is given free of charge on change of ownership. A permit enables an owner to keep for feeding purposes a bull which is unsuitable for breeding, but which is capable of being fattened off for slaughter within a definite and limited period. The penalty for keeping a bull in contravention of the proVisions of the Act is a fine not exceeding twenty pounds. Bulls calved in the first half (January to June inclusive) of any year are regarded as having reached the pre* seribed age on March 31st of the following year, and bulls calved in the second half (July to December inclusive) of any year are regarded as having reached tho prescribed age on September 30th of the following year. A license or a permit must be obtained before a bull reaches the prescribed age-

Inspection. Two inspections are held annually, one in Spring (February) and the other in Autumn (September). Applications, which must be accompanied by the license fee of ss, must be lodged before January 31st for the Spring inspection and before August 31st for the Autumn inspection. If a license is refused the tee is refunded. The inspections are are carried out at local centres — villages, post offices, railway stations, etc.—and these centres are so arranged that bulls need not be brought moro than about three or four miles at most, i.e., the centres are usually six to eight miles apart. Inspections at owners' residences are arranged at a special additional fee of £2. Bull-owners are given about ten days' notice of the place, date and hour of inspection. For the purpose of carrying out the work mon who are good farmers and recognised judges of commercial breeding stock are employed as temporary inspectors. Each inspector is allotted an aiea—a county or part of a in which 1m completes the work in about fifteen days, an assistant who is generally a farmer's son is also employed to do the tattooing and help a I the inspections. About twenty-four temporary inspector* and a similar number of assistants are employed on each occasion. The permanent live stock inspectors who are employed in connection with the Live Stock Improvement Schemes supervise..the work, and ensure that the standard is kept uniform tor the country as a whole. Bulls passed for license are branded by tattooing on the jight ear, a mark consisting of a shamrock, a letter antf a number which appears on the license form when issued. Branding is dispensed with in the case of a bull already tattooed in accordance with the regulation of a herd book authority. Bulla rejected for license are branded by tattooing the letter "R" on the right ear. When the inspections are completed the owner of a rejected bull is required by written notice to do one of the following things within fourteen days:—"* (a) to have the bull castrated; (b) to take out a permit for fattening the bull; • <c) to have the bull slaughtered. In most eases the rejected bulls are required to be castrated, and permits for fattening are issued only in r limited number of cases in which the animals enn be finished off in a short period. Notice to slaughter is issued only in case a bull is diseased* As a general rule the- notices served are complied with within the specified time except when appeals are lodged. If the notice is not complied witn, a person authorised for the purpose may enter the lands or premises where the bull is kept and earry out the castration or slaughter of the animal. Any expenses so incurred are recovered froin the owner fts ft civil debt. It baa been necessary to carry out such compulsory castration of bulls in only Ave cases since the Act was brought into force in 1925..

DAIRY PRODUCTION.

AN INTERESTING COMPARISON.

It is interesting to note in regard to our dairy exports that the export value per hundredweight of butter in 1910 was £5 1b Bd, whereas in the season just past it was valued at A? 3s 6d per hundredweight. In the pre.vious year, however, the figure was £8 2s 5d- The figures relate to 1910, 1929, and 1930: — 1910. 1929. 1930. £ £ £ _ Ttotter 1,811,975 12,744,992 13,022,95.7 Cheese 1,195,378 6,889,993 6,361,329 6,850 49,069 56,864 Dried Milk Casein Toms 3,014,198 20,186,592 19i919,545

TEN YEARS' INCREASE. studs and Flocks. Total Stud Grand Total Sheep Stud and and Flock other sheep • Bams. 1931 -. 600,693 23,285,031 1922 .. 581,829 22,222,259 1923 .. 613,660 2.3,081,439 1924 .. 654,211 23,775,776 1926 .. 679,675 24,547,955 1926 .. 711,169 24,904,993 1937 .. 741,034 25,649,016 1928 .. 755,387 27,133,810 1929 .. 805,862 29,051,382 1930 .. 875,843 30,841,287