Sheep breeders ‘see need for change’

Press, 20 July 1984, Page 22

Sheep breeders ‘see need for change’

Sheepbreeders in recent years have accepted the need for changes to meet the requirements of the meat and wool industries, according to Mr Ivor Robinson, of Woodend, a former president of the New Zealand Sheepbreeders Association. There had been strong changes within every sheep breed as breeders responded to calls from the market place, said Mr Robinson, who retired earlier this year after serving as the association’s president for six years. No breed of sheep coming under the wing of the association had failed to recognise the need for change, said Mr Robinson. Mr Robinson said he believed sheepbreeders had got over the obstacles of accepting that changes within breeds were necessary. Providing the present standard of improvement was maintained, breeders could continue to play an important part in the future of the industry. Reducing overfatness was one area receiving close attention from breeders, he said. Mr Robinson is pleased that a representative appointed by the United Breeds Society will be on hand to observe the selection of three breeds of exotic sheep to be imported in semen and embryo for from Scandinavia. He has always advocated that if New Zealand was to import exotic breeds, then the Sheepbreeders’ Association and U.B.S. should be involved. ’ Mr Robinson is pleased that a representative appointed by the united

Breeds Society will be on hand to observe the selection of three breeds of exotic sheep to be imported in semen and embryo form from Scandinavia.

He has always advocated that if New Zealand was to import exotic breeds, then the Sheepbreeders’ Association and U.B.S. should be involved. Mr Robinson is confident that the New Zealand purebred sheep industry will accept the imported breeds and endeavour to use them to the best advantage of the industry. On the other hand, if the imports don’t measure up and perform well under New Zealand conditions, then they should not be retained for sentimental value. Mr Robinson has followed in his father-in-law’s footsteps in serving as president of the association, an unusual occurrence because he was only the seventh national president in the association’s 90-year

history. His father-in-law, Mr E. S. Taylor, was president in 1949 and 1950.

Mr Robinson is highly respected in sheep breeding circles for the quality of.his sheep and his progressive outlook on sheep breeding. He sees the objectives of the Sheepbreeders’ Association as encouraging the well being of the sheep industry and assisting any pure breed of sheep. An example of the type of support provided by the association to individual breeds was the encouragement given Lincoln sheep, which were declining in number a few years ago because of a lack of interest. The association permitted Lincolns from commercial flocks to be introduced to build up numbers of registered flocks. New Lincolns are in a strong position and, along with English Leicesters, produce lustre wool in demand by the wool industry. Mr Robinson said there was concern at present about the declining numbers of Shropshire sheep. If the Shropshire breed’s existence was justified, the association might have to take action to prevent the breed disappearing from New Zealand. There are only three Shropshire flocks registered in New Zealand. An important task each year for the association is the issuing of a flock book containing all the registered flocks. Mr Robinson hopes the book will remain in its present hard-covered book form rather than be replaced with a computer print-out. However, computers would be useful in keeping track of records and generally helping in the maintenance of the system, he said. Financing extensions and the modernisation of the association’s offices at Addington was a feature of Mr Robinson’s term as president. The offices are owned by the Canterbury A. and P. Association and leased to the association in what Mr Robinson described as a very good working partnership. Mr Robinson, with his wife Margaret, runs 300 English Leicester ewes, in a stud founded in 1886, on their 175 ha Woodend farm, as well as 325 stud Romney ewes. His sons, Hugh and John, run 70 Suffolk stud ewes, and daughter, Nicky, has 10 Hereford stud cows. The property also carries 500 to 600 commercial Romney ewes.