First Booroola officers

Press, 16 June 1978, Page 14

First Booroola officers

Mr J. A. (John) Metherell, of Hillend near Balclutha, was elected foundation president of the Booroola Sheep Society of New Zealand at a meeting in Christchurch this v.eek. The society was formed last year. The Booroola is a highly prolific strain of Merino sheep, which has been introduced to this country from Australia. Mr Metherell comes from Canterbury, being bom at Rangiora, and is a graduate of Lincoln College and served with the Ministry of Agriculture in Gore and Akaroa before going farming. In 1976 he was Skellerup Young Farmer of the Year. Dr A. J. Allison, of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Invermay agricultural re-

search centre at Taieri, who has been working with the breed, was elected patron of the society, Mr W. J. Thompson, of Middlemarch, vicepresident and Mr V. R. Clark, of Lincoln College, secretary-treasurer.

The meeting attracted an attendance of about 18 and all present will constitute the council of the society for the first year, with the president, vicepresident. secretary-trea-surer and Mr J. 1. Innes forming the executive.

A constitution was only part adopted, as time would not permit full consideration being given to it.

As well as providing a framework for the administration of Booroola sheep in this country, the society will also establish as recognised breeds interbreds from recognised base breeds as and when this becomes necessary, and after recognition of such breed types, it will accept for registration such sheep as meet the breeding standards of the society. Breed combinations with a varying contribution of Booroola blood will be considered for registration. It was decided to accept sheep of 7/Bth Booroola blood as Booroolas, as for example after three generations of topcrossing purebred Booroola rams on an original section of Merino ewes. Dr Allison said that in Australia half Booroolas were as fecund as purebreds and at Tara Hills halfbreds and threequarterbreds had the same mean ovulation rates. He said he would agree that 7/Bth would be far enough to go to get a big lift. One of the aims of the society is to promote and encourage, by emphasis on the measurement and recording of productive characters, the breeding of the most profitable sheep in terms of both meat and wool.

Dr Allison noted that although no selection had been done for wool, on the basis of fleece weight data the sheep with Booroola blood in them were very promising.

Mr Innes reported that sheep of purebred Merino origin could not be exported from New Zealand to any destination. Mr Thompson reported to the meeting that following the receipt of information - that the Ministry of Agriculture was proposinfi to sell halfbred and threequarterbred Booroola stock, he and Mr Innes had gone to the Director-General of Agriculture. It had been felt that the Ministry was en-

croaching on the field of private enterprise, and as a result of their representations the stock were to be withheld from public sale and the Ministry would not compete with private breeders unless they could not satisfy the demand for Booroola blood stock.

Mr Innes said that they had suggested to the Ministry that it should also be looking at the distribution of exotic sheep that it was holding and they were amazed that something had not been done about this yet.