Cattle imports ‘a waste of money’

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32667, 24 July 1971, Page 2

Cattle imports ‘a waste of money’

(New Zealand Press Association) TIMARU, July 23. The Government’s proposal to import four breeds of cattle from France was attacked at a meeting of the South Canterbury meat and wool section of Federated Farmers today.

The chairman (Mr J. 0. Acland) described it as a waste of money, because semen from the breeds could be brought from the United Kingdom at a fraction of the cost. He said the Government would do better to spend the money on a beef-recording organisation which would make performance and pro--geny tests of all breeds.

Mr N. R. King said he read that one New Zealand breeder claimed that individuals could import these cattle, and do it much cheaper. Introducing the subject, Mr Acland said: “Since the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Carter) made the statement some weks ago that the Government was to import, direct from France, four breeds of cattle—Maine Anjou, Blond d’Aquitaine, Limousin and Simmental—there has been a lot of discussion up and down

the country on this topic, because people have been concerned that the door will close to Australia for the export of live cattle from New Zealand.”

As a result of approaches to the Minister, the DirectorGeneral of Agriculture (Dr A. T. Johns) and the Director of Animal Health (Dr S. Jamieson) had gone to Australia to discuss the use of Soames Island for these cattle, Mr Acland said.

“Regardless of the outcome of the discussions with the Australians, it is most debatable that New Zealand should import these breeds of cattle from France when the two most important breeds, Simmental and Limousin, are already in the United Kingdom, and the other two breeds are going there soon,” Mr Acland said.

“By November, 1972, Simmental and Limousin semen will be available in New Zealand from bulls already resident in the United Kingdom, and this semen will cost a fraction of the price to bring the bulls from France. What is more, the semen will be available from the United Kingdom before the French purchases are off Soames Island.” Mr Acland said another important point was that the German strain of Simmental, which was in the United Kingdom, came from prog-eny-tested stock, because the Germans had recorded growth and milk production for many years. "It would appear that this strain from Germany is far more suitable for New Zealand than the French strain.