World Ayrshire

Press, 3 April 1980, Page 11

World Ayrshire

Christchurch' will be the starting point next February for the fourth world conference of Ayrshire breed societies,' • which could bring to New Zealand about 500 ■ overseas visitors. . Other conferences have been /held th ; Britain and. Finland, and: it-was at f the . 1977- conference in Britain that. New Zealand was allotted the fourth- meeting and Mr A. A. C. Weir, .'of Matangi, elected president;' In June of the following year a. planning- committee was set up by the Ayrshire Cattle Breeders’ Association of New ..Zealand under the chairmanship of Mr Weir, as world president, and with the Mr G. Knight, secretary of the association,, as conference secretary. " A limit has been put on numbers attending the conference from overseas

and a quota has been given to . countries expected to participate on a membership basis. These countries include Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Kenya, Finland, Australia, Sweden South Africa Rhodesia, the Soviet Union Czechoslovakia. South America and New Zealand. The conference activities .will be spread over two .weeks commencing about February 5 in Christchurch. It will be divided into two sessions, with the first being held in Christchurch after the arrival of the overseas visitors. The conference party will then divide into three groups, which will travel through New Zealand by different routes visi’ng farms of Ayrshire breeders and points of scenic and agricultural interest and

will be hosted by local Ayrshire clubs as they pass through their areas. All groups will meet again at Rotorua and on the twelfth day will travel to Hamilton where ’ the final session of the conference will be held. Topics expected to be discussed at conferer.ee sessions will include the promotion of the Ayrshire breed world-wide, "future trends in dairy cattle breeding and the* type of dairy produce most" likely to be in demand in the future. It is envisaged that papers will be given by eminent New Zealanders as well as some overseas people on subjects such as embryo transplants in dairy cattle, dairy sire proving schemes and programmes for genetic improvement in dairy cattle. A ladies’ conference is also being arranged in

<l 's’ l * > m crate including arts and craus ing> , spinnmg and featur ing women.- . > Af the con-, The staging of “ e Jairly , ference will b e __ t h£ costly exercise A .. rs hire*i New Zealand Ayrsmre. Cattle Breeders atiom \vhich has bership of at3oUt .„?,f ' nfA considerable . am °,“ nt b o e n v , money has alread) b-en ( raised- almost from within the breed . self, and the P’S"® committee is confiden that its target of $3.0,0<«M will be reached. I South Island members, of the committee are C, H. Green of Brookside, Canterbury, and Mr R- F <[ Pollock, of Otago. L ;