Gift Sheep For Japan

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30216, 22 August 1963, Page 10

Gift Sheep For Japan

The New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board is flying to Tokyo two representatives of the industry producing mutton tor the Japanese market —“Mir and Mrs Romney,” a ram and an in-lamb ewe. Soon after their leaving Manawatu stud farms this week, the two Romneys will be grazing in a botanical garden in Tokyo. To most Japanese, sheep are zoological rarities. Against New Zealand's 50 million sheep there are only 800,000 in Japan and these are confined to the northern, less - populated islands.

The Meat Board chairman IMr J. D. Ormand), recently announced the gift of the two sheep to Mrs Hisako Aral, the board’s chief television demonstrator in Tokyo, who has been a key figure in the successful promotion of New Zealand mutton in Japan. It has ben arranged that the sheep be put in the care of Dr. Nonio Kondo, the director of the Breeding Research Institute ait Tokyo Agricultural University, for research purposes. He plans to breed from the two sheep. The New Zealand Romney Marsh Sheep Breeders' Asso-

elation. representing the numertcally predominant sheep breed in New Zealand, selected the sheep, one from each of two leading Mianawaitu stud farms, and made a gift of them to We board. The ram is a two-tooth (born September, 1952). The ewe, a four-tooth (bom September, 1961), is in lamb to another sire.

Reports to the board indicate Dr. Kondo’s enthusiasm for the idea. He is especially delighted that the ewe is "expeating” and has given an assurance that able veterinarians will, under his supervision, attend the lambing.

The ewe should lamb between September 1 and 14— without complications if her effort last season is a gu'de. The odds are slightly in favour of twins.

Though the Romney family will be grazing in the public eye art the botanical gardens, the sheep will still be under the constant care of Dr. Kondo and his staff at the nearby Research Institute. The sheep are due to be flown from Wellington to Auckland on August 22, leaving Auckland the same day for Tokyo, via Nandi and Honolulu.