Live sheep loaded with little incident

Press, 24 December 1985, Page 1

Live sheep loaded with little incident

By

CHRIS TOBIN

in Timaru

Live sheep bound for Mexico were being loaded in the Merino Express at Timaru yesterday at the rate of 1009 an hour, and according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, they were in excellent condition. :....

“Things are going extremely well,” said Mr Hamish McCallum, a veterinarian: “We■ have had to reject only four sheep out of the 8000 loaded so far.

“We are fortunate the sheep are not being hassled by too many people. We’ve had a constant flow with two trucks being unloaded and two others standing by right through the day.”

Security was tight round Timaru’s north mole wharf yesterday in anticipation of any protest action by freezing workers opposed to livesheep exports. Only one minor confrontation occurred when about 20 freezing workers from Otago and Southland tried to approach the loading area. They were turned away by police and Harbour Board staff guarding the one entrance to the wharf.

Loading began at 8 a.m. and continued until 11 p.m. Livestock officers supervised the stock as they left Hinds and veterinarians from the Ministry of Agriculture, Mexico and the company handling the deal, Animal Enterprises, Ltd, were at Timaru examining the sheep when they arrived.

Loading is expected to resume at 7 a.m. today and should be completed soon after midday. The Merino Express with its cargo of 18,000 ewes is likely to sail for Mexico this afternoon.