USE OF SURPLUS DAIRY CALVES

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30937, 18 December 1965, Page 10

USE OF SURPLUS DAIRY CALVES

AN estimated total of “ 644.000 calves could be available for either veal (other than bobby veal) or beef production in the developmental stages of a largescale dairy-beef industry, according to a working party that presented an interim report to a recent meeting of the Agricultural Production Council.

“There is a tremendous demand for this sort of meat, which goes into most of the mixes in Asian countries,” said Sir John Ormond, chairman of the Meat Board, during discussion of the report. The working party, which was se’ up to investigate alternative use of surplus dairy stock, reported that the complexity of some of the issues covered by its terms of reference, especially industry organisation and market requirements of the types of meat envisaged, made it unlikely that a final report could be presented before February or March of next year.

However, much investigation had already been done, and particular attention paid to the problems of rearing and feeding extra young stock indicated that rearing units should be established by dairy factories and possibly meat freezing works in or near dairying districts. Once the calves had been weaned they could, be sold to farmers for raising for either veal or beef; or. if the rearing unit had enough suitable land, it could retain the calves until they were ready to sell as veal or beef directly to meat operators. Farmers’ capacity to raise calves for veal or beef was

obviously limited, but the committee considered that up to 190,000 calves (in addition to heifer calves for herd replacement) could be raised on dairy farms. .

Details of practices used by farmers in both islands in raising dairy-bred calves for beef 'or veal had been obtained and were being studied. A drop of about 10 per cent in bobby calf killings this season indicated that more calves were being retained on farms either for herd replacements' or for beef or veal production.