U.K. and N.Z. farming interests

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32786, 10 December 1971, Page 16

U.K. and N.Z. farming interests

Mr K. A. W. Norwood, who was in Christchurch last weekend, has a farm of almost 500 acres only about 12 miles from the centre of London. Situated in Essex, he said that the farm was rather unique in its location but it was in a forest area and this had prevented the land being built on. Mr Norwood also has fanning interests in this country, in that he runs nine Charolais cattle in association with New Zea-

land Pastoral Holdings in the North Island. He was one of the first importers of cattle of this breed into Britain from. France and has obtained cattle in each of the six importations that have been made. He has 25 to 30 purebreds on his Essex farm and last year he also went to Germany to bring some of the first Simmental into Britain, and with cattle of the same breed that he obtained in the first importation from Switzerland he now has about 25 cattle of this breei. As well he has 12 Limousin—another French bned. Mr Norwood was also on a committee which last month made the first purchase of Maine Anjou cattle from France. A meat importer and a judge of dead meat at the Smithfield show in Londoh last Christmas, Mr Norwood said the Limousin, which was a smaller boned animal than some of the other new breeds being brought into Britain and did not have the spectacular weight gain of the

Charolais, was a quality beef animal and “extremely well put together as far as the requirements of the meat trade were concerned." From a beef quality point of view Mr Norwood said it was considered in France that the cross between the Charolais and the Limousin produced the best type of 'animal. The Maine Anjou, he said, was a large Shorthorn type of animal and might, have a place for crossing to produce a big lean type of beef animal, but was not a good animal from a conformation point of view. ' Other cattle that would soon be reaching Britain under the Government's new policy of allowing in any breeds, such as the French Blond d’Aquitaine and the Italian Chiana, would probably not be suitable for general use for meat production in either New Zealand or Britain. Mr Norwood said that the success of the importations of the Charolais had led to the sudden appearance of , other breeds.

He believed that the Simmental would have a place for crossing with particularly the Hereford, and the Limousin would be suited for use in producing quality meat like the Angus, but with the advantage that it was faster growing and had a leaner conformation than the Angus. Although the numbers of Charolais bulls now available in Britain were great enough for sales to be made to home buyers as well as for export, Mr Norwood said that the demand was so good that prices had increased. While in New Zealand Mr Norwood has concluded negotiations for the sale, at a “very substantial price,” of semen for the life-time of a one-year-old Charolais bull to an Australian breeding consortium. The semen will be taken from the bull at the South Island Beef Breeding Centre at Kaiapoi. The deal also includes the sale of calves from a Charolais heifer. In Britain Mr Norwood has been selling Charolais and Simmental cattle to the United States, and Limousin calves will also be going there.