INSEMINATION OF CATTLE

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27404, 17 July 1954, Page 10

INSEMINATION OF CATTLE

SCHEME FOR SOUTH ISLAND OUTLINED FOUR GROUPS SET UP BY ASSOCIATION Artificial insemination of cattle is being introduced into the South Island for the first time on an organised basis this year. This was reported to the annual meeting of the South Island Herd Improvement Association yesterday by the general manager, Mr J. R. Unwin. For a start, four artificial insemination groups will be operated under the auspices of the association. The groups, each comprising about 20 breeders with about 1000 cows will be located at Takaka, Kaikoura, Koiterangi and Hari Hari. There will also be a group at Nelson under the auspices of the Waimea Veterinary Club. Mr Unwin said he expected that about 6000 cow’s would be artificially inseminated in the South Island during the next breeding season. Artificial insemination had grown so fast in New Zealand during the last four or five years that the demand for semen from Ruakura had grown from requirements for 3000 cows a year four years ago to supplies for 120,000 this year. Ruakura now dispatched more semen a day than any other breeding centre in the world except perhaps Cornell in the United States of America, but the demand was more than the station could cope with and this year artificial Insemination would be limited to 80,000 cows in New Zealand. The spread of artificial insemination was a matter of the greatest importance, said Mr Unwin. It was very closely allied with herd improvement in that greatly increased numbers of dairy farmers would have the services of high quality bulls. It appeared to be the quickest and best way to raise herd production averages.