T.B. TESTING FOR DAIRY HERDS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28896, 16 May 1959, Page 4

T.B. TESTING FOR DAIRY HERDS

Incidence Not High In Canterbury

“The new scheme for tuberculosis testing that was introduced last year for factory herds has now got under way throughout the country and it has been found that the incidence in Canterbury is not high,” said Mr W. C. Miller, chairman of the Dairy Section of North Canterbury Federated Farmers in his report to the annual conference of the section. An incidence had been found of some 3 per cent, in the herds tested—lB7 herds embracing 8281 cows. Town supply herds were almost free in this area. Mr L. D. Hunt asked whether the number of herds referred to in the report applied to town supply herds. “The town supply herds are separate,” said Mr Miller. Mr S. G. Farquhar: There has been something like 300 herds tested in the town supply. There is some misconception of what we get for town supply cows that are to be disposed of because they are reactors. You lose on supply and if you don’t maintain your quota you have to take that reduced quota again next year. For that reason £l3 is placed on the loss of production. The money to farmers for loss of production seemed fair because town supply reactor cows were sent straight to the freezing works and there was no opportunity for the cow to continue producing for the remainder of the season, said Mr Miller. “There was a scheme to make the South Island a clean area and has that been done?” asked Mr Farquhar. Mr Miller: No, we are still tied until after we have been around and had T.B. testing on the majority of herds and they are declared free. There would then be a case to put forward for declaring the South Island a clean area for tuberculosis in the herds. “At the present moment the incidence of tuberculosis in town supply herds is less than one half of one per cent. It just goes to show that a system can get results in such a short time,” said Mr J. W. Overton.

The North Island dairy farmers were envious of this percentage which meant that town supply herds had almost a “clean sheet.”