Lousy Sheep Problem At Autumn Sales

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29992, 29 November 1962, Page 6

Lousy Sheep Problem At Autumn Sales

Because of the prevalence of lice-infested sheep in Canterbury a difficult situation could arise at Addington Market during the coming store sheep and lamb selling season, said a letter from the chairman of the North Canterbury Stock and Station Agents' Association (Mr B. de C. Thomson), which was read .o the meat and wool section of North Canterbury Federated Farmers yesterday. “So far the only direction we have received from the Department of Agriculture, Christchurch, through its inspector, Mr Gibson, is that it will accept spray dipping up to six weeks from date of shearing, - otherwise sheep must be plunge dipped, Mr Thomson’s letter said. "As the majority of the many thousands of sheep to be offered at Addington from January onwards will not qualify under this ruling, a serious problem can arise I with sheep that are ticketed for lice and for which there are no facilities for dipping at Addington saleyards, nor at any of the operating firms' holding paddocks in and around Christchurch. “Where sheep have come from long distances, such as Marlborough and the Chatham Islands, it will be impossible to return them, and this situation was explained to the Canterbury Saleyards Company with a request that plunge dip facilities be provided.

“The reply from the Saleyards Company was that until the Government gazettes regulations for legal dipping, they are not prepared to move in the matter or reopen or reconstruc the old plunge dip at the saleyards which has not been used for many years and. in fact, has been filled in and bricked over.” Mr Thomson’s letter said that further approaches were to be made to the department by the association which was prepared to support the section if an approach to the Minister of Agriculture was considered necessary. A committee was set up to meet the department to discuss the matter. Conciliation Proceedings A member of the Meat Board should be appointed as one of the employers’ assessors on arbitration and conciliation proceedings when they were relative to the frozen meat industry, said Mr J. H. A. Hollis, in moving a re-

mit to this effect from the Hawarden-Waikari branch. It was amended to say that the Meat Board be represented at arbitration and conciliation proceedings when relative to the meat industry. A Hororata branch remit criticised the quality of New Zealand flax wool packs. Because of their high cost of production the packs should be better turned-out than they were. The remit was carried.

Another remit called for research into the different breeds of sheep to determine the relative ratio they produced of lean meat to fat. Moving the remit, Mr J. F. G. Blakely said that it would determine those strains which would do away with overfat lambs. The stud breeder could not do this alone and it needed work by the meat research organisation and the agricultural colleges. Co-operation would also be required from the freezing industry, Mr W J. Dunlop said. The remit was carried Reporting on the meeting of the Dominion meat and wool council, the chairman (Mr R. E. Hiatt) said that wool handling charges were going to be increased by wool brokers. Although it was realised the brokers were passing on their own increased costs to the farmers a committee had been set up to protest, he said The council had discussed the need for more publicity in the newspapers of the Meat and Wool Board’s Economic Service annual report. It was given little attention, except in farming journals, and should get greater coverage—“but it would need vetting first,” he said. Shearing Contest The attendance at the shearing and wool handling competitions held in Christchurch last Saturday bad been disappointing and it seemed that there would be a loss of about £5O, Mr Hiatt said. Two delegates criticised the lack of advertising of the event and it was suggested that another time of the year might be better. Mr Hiatt said the committee which organised the competition had been disappointed with the reception they had received from >he Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association when they tried to have the event staged during the November show.

Mr Hiatt said he had appreciated the objection to using a selling ring because of the “possible” risk of infestation from flock sheep being taken near the stud show sheep, but he ob.ected to being told six or nine months before the show that Canterbury Court was completely booked out. When he had seen inside the building at the show there had been plenty of spare space. ‘‘The association rents the building from the Canterbury Court Company for the show. ... I can’t understand the association—they want the revenue,” Mr Hiatt said.