STUDY TO IMPROVE STOCK STRAINS

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31754, 10 August 1968, Page 1

STUDY TO IMPROVE STOCK STRAINS

(New Zealand Press Association)

INVERCARGILL, August 9.

A committee is soon to be set up to assess the merits of exotic sheep and cattle breeds and study their possible uses in New Zealand, the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Taiboys) said in an interview today.

Imports of breeds unknown in New Zealand will become possible with the completion next year of the Department of Agriculture’s maximum security quarantine station on Somes Island, Wellington.

Mr Talboys said it would be necessary to place much importance on selection of the stock. There would have to be enough representatives of a new breed to enable its assessment under varying conditions, and quality would have to be adequate. “The proposition is that there should be a relatively small number of relatively large consignments,” he said. The committee which will recommend priorities, and action following imports, will include representatives of New Zealand breed societies, agricultural colleges, the Department of Agriculture and the producer boards. “Some Conflict” “Obviously there will be some conflict, but the make-up of the committee should ensure a wide representation of interests,” Mr Talboys said. • “The aim is to import genetic material which will add to the material value of our production, possibly enabling alternative forms of production in combination with the existing New Zealand breeds.”

With sheep the main emphasis would be on raising fertility above the present national average lambing percentage of about 100. This could be done faster by introducing, into existing breeds exotic genetic material of proven value, than by selection within the present main breeds, said the Minister.

Meanwhile, there would have to be strict controls to ensure that there was little or no loss in important factors like carcase uniformity, growth rate, milking ability and wool weight and quality. Other Breeds “One suggestion is that there are better long-term prospects for finer wools than for coarse types, so there may be a need to re-evaluate some strains of Merino for crossing with Romneys. “Another line of thought is that, depending on the per-

formance of the New Zealanddeveloped Drysdale, other breeds producing wool specially suited for carpets should be considered.” • Trials with Friesian and other breeds suitable for crossbred beef production on dairy farms had already shown that the Friesian showed a superiority. One problem was that the New Zealand Friesian strains available through artificial breeding services had been selected over many generations on only their milk production.

Dutch Friesians. Another possibility was the British South Devon.

Mr Talboys said it was desirable that all initial evaluation of new breeds should be controlled by the Department of Agriculture so that the basic facts, and possible dangers, were known before private imports are permitted. He quoted the Landrace pig breed’s fate in New Zealand as an example of what could happen to a new breed introduced indiscriminately. Within a few years of its release the breed had almost disappeared but was later “rescued.”

This could possibly be remedied by importing bigger