FARM DISEASES

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22430, 17 June 1938, Page 21

FARM DISEASES

RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN BY DEPARTMENT NEARLY £1,000,000 LOST IN ECZEMA EPIDEMIC [THE PRESS Special Service.J AUCKLAND. June 16. The steps being taken by the Government to investigate the causes of the facial eczema which caused extensive losses of farm stock during the autumn were detailed by the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. W. Lee Martin), when speaking at the opening of new plant at the East Tamaki Cooperative Dairy Company’s factory. He said he was told that the cost of the epidemic was nearly £1,000.000. Facial’eczema had been experienced in the Dominion for the last 40 years, the Minister said, and he had been informed by his officers that the losses in 1935 were probably as great as this* year. That so little had been heard about it on the previous occasion was probably because it was confined to sheep, whereas in 1938 it had made inroads into dairy herds. All through the years as soon as an epidemic waned, they had not seemed to trouble any more about the matter until a new outbreak occurred. There was a better way of meeting the position and the department had selected special officers for investigating the disease, and with the assistance of the farming community a committee of producers was elected to work in cooperation with the experts. Last Friday be had informed the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) that £IO,OOO was needed to make a start with the work, and this was granted willingly. In the investigation of mammitis the Dairy Board had given very full co-operation. After Dr. Hucker’s visit the work must be continued and the board had agreed to find £4OOO if a similar amount were granted by the Government. This action was taken, and £BOOO would be spent during the coming season in an effort to improve the position. “I have always sought the assistance of farmers, and there is not an appointment that has been made or a major undertaking entered into without my consulting them,” Mr Lee Martin added.