THE WEEK

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27035, 9 May 1953, Page 5

THE WEEK

T.B. TESTING I

The Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Society has taken a very progressive step in insisting that at future shows evidence that cattle are free from tuberculosis must be produced before they can be exhibited. The Royal Society has followed suit, and this may be the beginning of a movement to have tuberculosis testing in New Zealand at last taken seriously. The question has for many years been one of those on which there has been agreement in principle, but little in practice. In theory, it has for very many years been an offence to keep cattle with tuberculosis, but any movement toward eliminating the disease from New Zealand herds has always broken down on the question of compensation to the owners of cattle eliminated. Successive governments have paid lip service to the idea, but have refused to consider paying anything like adequate compensation. The •town Milk Federation has recently induced the Government to agree to a payment of something over £2O a head for reactors, and while this is rather better than most governments have been prepared to do, it is still a iong way below the value of a town supply cow today. The rate for other cattle re JJ“ a i ns at °? e ridiculous figure of £6. Tuberculosis is a question which has worried dairymen quite as much as it has the health authorities and the municipalities. As it happens, a very lT‘ g £. 1 VH n J’ er , of the cattle exhibitors r 9 h shows are dairymen, ana with their own scheme working, they were naturally somewhat uneasy about mixing their tuberculosis free cattle with untested cattie frem other exhibitors. This aspect was well understood by non-dairying exhibitors, who fall tato line > but were doubtful whether the Department of Agriculture, which doas the testing had sufficient staff to do the work At L^l erance a to-night ago, the de,was able to assure farmers that it had enough staff, and was most anxious to begin work, and the last objections were swept away. Tuberculosis testing of all cattle, including run cattie, must come in New Zealand in the end. This year Denniark was able to celebrate complete freedom from tuberculosis in cattle and Holland is within a.year or so of o b -f - to . maka the same claim. Great Britain is actively pursuing the disease, and very large areas of Britain are now free. The United States has an excellent record. In each cf these countries, elimination has been tackled realistically, and farmers and governments have each contributed „ na ” ce make elimination possible. 11 New Zealand is ever to become a serious competitor in the dairy pro- °. f su 9 h countries as the United States, it will be necessary to guarantee all produce free of the disease. New Zealand would have little cnance in the American market with Denmark now, and with Holland in a couple of years. It is very gratifying indeed that all breeders have agreed to the show standard. This demonstration of their attitude may stimulate the government to look more realistically at the problem than has been the case with previous governments.

ROAD TRANSPORT OF STOCK

Mid-Canterbury fat stock producers, who have been embarrased by the strict interpretation of the road transport regulations in recent weeks, will have found some encouragement in the remarks of the Dunedin Transport Licensing Authority reported earlier this .week. He said that there was a need for clarification of the point at which a haul became a long-distance haul ;. an? said also that it would be possible in some circumstances to deny the public the advantages offered by modern road transport. At present stock may not be sent by road if the road travels alongside a railway for more than 30 miles. Farmers south of the Rakaia, who provide a very big proportion of the mutton and lamb eaten in Christchurch, have for years been able to have their stock shifted by road under special pennit exempting thenf from this condition. Recently the regulations have been very strictly interpreted, and permits have not been forthcoming. The 50-mile allowance for fat lambs for delivery to freezing y?. I * B I s a recognition of the possibility of loss of weight and bloom in fat lambs during transport, particularly milk lambs, and if the authorities at any tune reconsider road trucking limits, the limit might well be extended in the case of other fat stock for the same reason. Most frfrmers recognise the justice of supporting the railway, even if some coercion is needed to ensure that everybody does, but the railway authorities on their part must recognise that the service given by thq railways, particulaly in the transport of fat stock, has left much to be desired in recent years.

WHEAT ON CONTRACT An interesting sign of the times is that one of the big local flourmilling companies will this season try to secure its year’s supply of wheat by contracting with growers to grow wheat for it. There have been occasions in the past when millers have had specialty wheats grown on contract, and of course in the old days millers often supplied finance for a farmer to grow a crop, but this is believed to be the first large-scale operation of this sort here. The company’s object is first to try to sfee that more wheat is grown and. second, to try to secure for itself a reasonably big supply of good quality wheat. An executive of the company said this week that he would be very happy if he could assure his whole requirements for the year this way but added gloomily that he believed the chances of doing that were not good. The company has assured itself that enough seed is available. No details of the contract are available so far. FROZEN PEAS A North Island company which produces deep-frozen green peas for the local market is opening a branch in Christchurch this year. Hawke’s Bay farmers are now growing about 3000 acres of peas each year for the factory, and are finding it an attractive undertaking. The farmer grows the peas, usually William Massey, and the harvesting is done by the buyer. Machines from the factory mow and pick up the crop when the peas have matured for freezing process them, and if required, return the vines to the farmer. A good many farmers are making a good silage from the vines. Returns have been running at about £36 an acre in the North island.

TERAKO CATTLE SALE Prices were good for the 508 Terako cattle sold at Addington on Monday. The feature of the sale was the big selection of breeding cows and heifers, in which there was strong interest. The sales and average prices were: calves, 42 Aberdeen-Angus-Hereford cross. £l9 7s 6d; 34 Aberdeen-Angus steers at £18; 35 Aberdeen-Angus cross heifers at £l6 12s 6d; 12 AberdeenAngus heifers at £l3 17s 6d; 37 Hereford steers at £l7; 31 Hereford heifers at £l7 17s fid. Heifers. 15 yearling Aberdeen-Angus at £22 17s fid; 37 twoyear Aberdeen-Angus, in calf to Hereford bulls, at £2B 8s fid; 13 two-year Hereford, in calf to Aberdeen-Angus bull at £29 2s fid. Cows, 153 Aberdeen Angus, in calf to Hereford bulls, at £26 18s; 91 Hereford, in calf to Aber-deen-Angus bulls, at £25 17s 6d. Top price fbr calves was £2O 17s 6d, top tor heifers, and top of the sale, was £3l 17s 6d. and top for cows was £26 17a fid.