China, Argentina seek N.Z. sheep

Press, 24 October 1978, Page 2

China, Argentina seek N.Z. sheep

The demand for New Zealand sheep knows no geographical barriers. Contracts; have recently been signed ,o export sheep to China, and a Chinese buying group is in New Zealand at present, as! is a buying contingent from ! Argentina. Between 2000 and 3000 sheep will be flown to China from New Zealand within the next two months. The first of three aircraft i loads was due to leave Christchurch Airport earlier 1 this month, but the first! flight by an enlarged DCB of; Trans International Airlines,: of Texas, is now expected to I leave from Christchurch; about November 11, and the: second about November 17. A third flight will leave early in December. The sheep for the first two flights have been assem-1 bled by the Christchurch i firm of Pyne, Gould, Guin- < ness, Ltd. The first consignment of j 800 sheep will fill a contract, between China and Com-; modity Traders (New Zealand} Ltd, of Auckland, j These include 500 com -1 mercial Romney ewes, 150; stud Border Leicester ewes.! 100 stud Romney rams, and 50 stud Border Leicester rams. The second consignment of 800 sheep will fill a contract between the Australian firm of Elder, Smith, Goldsborough, Mort and the Chinese. It will consist of 700 commercial Romney ewes, 60 stud Romney rams, 30

stud Lincoln ewes, and 10, stud Lincoln rams. The final group, also of 800, will fill a contract between Daigety New Zealand, Ltd, and the Chinese. i The sheep will go to! farms in China and will be; used in association with; native breeds to improvs the! strain. Under the terms of the! contracts, a sheep-breeding j group has come from China! to select the sheep. It is led: by Mr Shao Shu-chang, who! is deputy manager (imports); of the Shanghai branch of the China National Native! Produce and Animal By-I Products Import and Export I Corporation. The group also; includes Mr Chiu Chen-vuan. j Mr Teng Pin-tsai, and Mr Fu Ping-yuan, who is the inter- i preter. Mr Shao said that the! purpose of China’s interest; in New Zealand sheep was: to develop trade between China and New Zealand, and; to promote friendship be- i tween the peoples of the tw’o countries. He said that China hoped I to extend this trade if the! sheep were of good quality[ and prices were reasonable.| The Chinese were interested in sheep for meat and wool: production. The group’s selection tour! has already taken them to! many parts of New Zealand. Mr Shao described New Zealand as a beautiful country, and said that the people had been very friendly. They expect to be in New Zealand for about a month.

The Chinese group who hope to attend the Canterbury’ A. and P. show next ; mouth, were unable to indicate the value of their pur!chases in New Zealand. ■ The Argentinian group ; comprises nine stud Corriediale sheep breeders, and their mission is to buy top stud Corriedale rams. ; They have come after the ! visit to the Palermo show in I July of the manager of the jstud and bloodstock depanment of Pyne, Gould, Guin|ness, Mr D. G. A. Cassells. lAt that show, two rams from J. F. G. Blakely and ' Son (Clifton, Waikari) were ! auctioned for SUS9SOO and ISUSSOOO. I Mr Cassells will accomI pany the Argentinians on ! visits to studs in Marlboriough, Canterbury, and I Otago. I They, will attend the [ Canterbury show, one of the (greatest Corriedale shows in I the world, before their return.