TUBERCULOSIS IN CATTLE

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26987, 12 March 1953, Page 8

TUBERCULOSIS IN CATTLE

TESTING OF SHOW ANIMALS CONFERENCE OF OWNERS PROPOSED The Minister of Agriculture (Mr K J. Holyoake) has suggested to the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association that it should call a conference of stock owners with a departmental representative to discuss a proposal for ensuring that only tuber-culin-tested stock are exhibited at the association’s annual show. The Minister’s request was received at a meeting of the association’s general committee yesterday. It was decided, to refer the matter to the cattle committee for urgent consideration. “The tesing of cattle in herds registered for town milk supply purposes is compulsory, and the programme of testing this class of animal is proceeding in all parts of the country,” said Mr Holyoake' in his letter. “So far, however, there is no legislation requiring the testing of cattle in other categories, ana it would appear that the co-operation of exhibitors would be necessary to ensure that tuberculin-tested stock only -are forwarded to the show. “In many cases, exhibitors wiil.be dealing with pedigree animals of high market value, and they may not be prepared to have their stock submitted to thd tuberculin test and to have reactors destroyed under compensation,” Mr Holyoake said. A conference of those affected by th® proposal might be convened, at whicn a departmental representative couW explain the implications of the tuberculin test.” ' . The secretary (Mr M. E. Lyons) said there was a very real difficulty for a man who had a pedigree herd which was not on a town supply. A man supplying a factory received only £8 a head in compensation for condemned beasts, whereas a town SUP' plier received £22 a head. Even was not very mudh, as a good animal cost £3O or more. t The association had a problem its annual show, Mr Lyons said. Many of the animals exhibited at the shew were from town supply herds, ana had been tested, but they were nuxea with untested beasts from factory supply herds.