BUSINESS IN SHEEP

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 34, 9 February 1935, Page 12

BUSINESS IN SHEEP

TRADE WITH SOUTH AFRICA \

New ' Zealand lias an unequalled chance , of working up.,a healthy trade with South i Africa in sheep. The-'.South Africans are . keen to get out1 sheep, and' breeders in New Zealand, Canterbury in particular, - are keen to sell sheep to South Africa, ] but because of the almost insurmountable j difficulty of arranging transport for the j animals, the trade proceeds only fitfully,' .. saj's "The Press." This year Canterbury has had a par- '. ticularly good season - with the export of j stud'and flock sheep. There has'been a ■ better demand than usual from Australia, ! and She: North Island has also been "more than usually active. Prices . have been ; very satisfactory, although they are by no ; means on a level with those ruling in the ' glonous: days of the b00m... , ' The demand from.;, Souths America has ; keptt up, and.'shipments have already been ' made there, South Africa has sent forward, an unusual number of inquiries, 'but stock agents in New"'Zealand are forced j to make sales .subject to: ij being, possible ' to• arrange freight. This is •obviously a ' in.ost .unsatisfactory hindrance' to^biisihess, ■ but* there1 are". lio^ direct cargo steamers to South Africa, and-the passenger vessels that run refuse to take sheep. The only ' method ofshipment is by way of Australia, : and this generally-means a voyage so long. ; that it is very bad for the sheep.. New Zealand, as a country entirely free ■; from such scourges .■;as foot-and-mouth ' disease," is receiving' a' constantly'intreas-' , ing.,- number of inquiries for. sheep from overseas. There are -no expensive' quarantine restrictions on New Zealand sheep, ' and for shipment-all that ia'required by most foreign Governments is a declaration from a Government veterinarian that-the ; sheep when; they leave the Dominion are in good general.health and are clean. The demand is ■princjpally..; for. .Corriedales, ' which-are not successfully" bred elsewhere than in New Zealand, but therehas been an eager inquiry recently for English breeds, particularly: from- ; Australia. . Recent, shipmentsVinclude; 40- Ryeland stud ewes and two stud rams to South Australia. The sheep;were all one shear, and were drawn from the flocks of W. 0. Rennie, Riishbrook, ..Doyleston,'-.T. A.. ;' Stephens, Waipuna, Irwell, and E. Averill and, Sons, Echillsi Hastings. "A shipment was recently made of 18 Corriedale flock rams ,to ;New South. Wales. They ■ were drawn from the Kakahuri stud -;of' Hugh;', Erisor. For.jthe first tune' for .some years, Border Leicester rams were shipped to New South Wales recently. ' There, were nine stud rams,, bred by; R.-T. Low, Aberdeen, Methven. \'Another,shipment to Victoria was onejof -nine!: special. Southdown stud ewes drawn from the flock? of, John Deans, Kirkstyle, Hp.mebush. . ,;. -. ;..; The season, for -shipnieijt -to the Island •is nearing, an end, , ; but so far more .than-,400 rams have gone -.there through.one fir'iii..al6ne. and tliere.are still orders, to, &)}■ '■' '(... v'.',.'V.'. .''.'..; .-,.., The. business'in.■sh'eep;^expprt. lia's: bSeii very good this year, but--' everyone ''concerned'in the 'industry' is; anxious Ho'i see ' the very good' potential'.vjSouttv -African- - market opened up. .The uiarket'is:-there, but- there is'-no.shipping -to give it life, and for breeders, in' New!rZealaiid v South j Africa' remains a tantalising; prospect.'.". ■'