Beef Herds No Tb Threat

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31058, 13 May 1966, Page 12

Beef Herds No Tb Threat

Delegates to the dairy section conference of North Canterbury Federated Farmers were told yesterday that the rising numbers of beef cattle in the province did not present a tuberculosis threat to dairy herds. The matter was raised by the newly elected chairman Mr F. H. Eggleston (Greenpark), but Mr J. W. Overton (Halswell) told the meeting that on investigating the statistics at various freezing works, he found the incidence of tuberculosis in run cattle was extremely low. “Thank goodness for that,” he added, “otherwise the testing by dairy farmers, and not by run cattlemen, would be superfluous.”

The retiring chairman, Mr S. E. Chappell (Killinchy), said most of the South Island was now a tuberculosis-free area. “If there had been a break-down through beef herds, we would have heard about it by now,” he said. Officers elected were:— Chairman, Mr Eggleston: vicechairman, Mr J. R. Marwick (Ohoka and districts): executive, Messrs Eggleston, Marwick, Chappell, J. D. Nichols (Amberley), A. J. W. Prattlev (Banks Peninsula), D. A. T. Jones (Cust-West E.vreton), R. Barclay (Dunsandei), G. D. Russell (Ellesmere), F. W. Hansen (Fernside), J. A. King (Halswell), H. H. Mander (Hawarden-Waikari), A. iD. Oliver (Hororata), W. C. Miller (Motukarara), M. P. Kay (Omihi), P. Mears (Oxford), C. G. Wheeler (Sefton and districts), W. Marshall (Snringston), H. P. Crossen (Tai Tapu and districts), R. E. Rossiter (Waimairi), F. D. McArthur (Yaldhurst).