TUBERCULOSIS IN CATTLE

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28747, 19 November 1958, Page 14

TUBERCULOSIS IN CATTLE

Pool Scheme For Eradication (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND. Nov. 18.

A scheme for the eradication o r tuberculosis from cattle throughout New Zealand was submitted to the dairy section of Auckland Federated Farmers today and forwarded to the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Skinner) for comment.

It envisaged the establishment by the Government of pool herds of tuberculosis-free stock to replace culls from farmers’ herds free of cost, with farmers replenishing the pools by returning tuberculosis-free heifers. Mr G. Samson said the establishment of replacement herds would, be beyond the resources of farmers, and would have to be undertaken by the Government on Government-owned land It would be essential for all farmers to get rid of infected stock as soon as they were detected. The farmer would receive no compensation in cash, but would get a replacement from the pool herds and also the value of the condemned beast at the freezing works. In the following season, the farmer would send a tuberculosis free heifer to the pool herd for every cow replaced. Pool herds would be essential to avert a stock shortage, Mr Sansom said, particularly in view of the way breeding stock was being slaughtered today, so that farmers could “cash in” on the high prices for beef. This policy would cause a serious stock shortage in the near future.