DAIRY HERDS AT ROTORUA

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26854, 6 October 1952, Page 3

DAIRY HERDS AT ROTORUA

“ALARMING INCIDENCE OF TUBERCULOSIS” LITTLE RAW MILK SOLD "The Press” Special Service ROTORUA, October 5. An alarming incidence of tuberculosis in dairy herds in the Rotorua district has been shown in recent tests on seven of the 17 herds which supply milk to the borough milk treatment station. In the last few weeks 289 cows and six bulls have been condemned because of tubercular infection. These herds contained about 800 cows. Fifteen more herds in the Rotorua and Taupo area have yet to be tested. Eight of these supply milk to the Rotorua treatment station. The inspector of stock, Mr G. Stevens, said that it was hoped that all herds on town milk supply would have been tested by December. Because compulsory testing of town supply herds did not begin in the Rotorua district until 1949, ro figures are available to indicate whether or not the incidence of tuberculosis is increasing. Mr Stevens, however, is confident that once all the herds have been tested the number of animals which become reactors each year will be considerably reduced. In two herds which were tested last year, only one infected cow was found when the tests were repeated recently. The number of condemned cattle was high, he said, and farmers in the district would be extremely concerned. Owners of cows which had been condemned may receive a maximum compensation of £22 10s—£10 10s from the Milk Marketing Board for loss of production, and up to £l2 from the Department of Agriculture, r.ccording to the value of the cow. Only a small percentage of Rotorua’s milk supply is sold raw, said Mr W. H. Thomason, the manager of the milk treatment station. Of 41293 gallons sold for town supply and schools last month. 37.693 gallons were pasteurised. Private customers can obtain raw milk if they prefer it, but all school milk is pasteurised. “There is no doubt,” Mr Thomason said, “that pasteurised milk is the only milk that is really safe.”