Nelson Farmers Defy Government

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30230, 7 September 1963, Page 12

Nelson Farmers Defy Government

(New Zealand Press Association)

NELSON, September 6

Tadmor-Matariki farmers, who struck against tuberculosis testing for dairy herds, have been asked by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr B. E. Taiboys, to reconsider.

In reply to a petition organised by a committee in the area and signed by 99 farmers, Mr Taiboys asks that they “accept their legal obligations under the testing rules which the industry itself asked the Government and the department to implement."

The Minister says the committee's request that the Government pay the equivalent of market value for condemned animals would be impracticable. The Government could not agree to the proposition, he said. The stand taken by the farmers against the scheme will be maintained.

The special tuberculosis committee formed in the area reached this decision last night ait a meeting which lasted for four hours and a half. A number of farmers who are among the 99 who signed the petition to the Minister asking him to reconeider the scheme have refused to allow further testing on their farms

Some stock which has been tagged for slaughter has been withheld from the works, although the month allowed tor

stock to be sent off a farm hag elapsed. This attitude would be maintained, the meeting agreed. The Tadmore-Martariki district is in the Waimea County, about 40 miles south of Nelson.