"BIG JOB TO DO"

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 91, 19 April 1939, Page 11

"BIG JOB TO DO"

DAIRY INDUSTRY

IMPROVEMENT PLANS

VETERINARY SERVICE

The two most important requirements leading directly to improvement to the whole of the dairy industry were stated by the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. Lee Martin), addressing the dairy conference today, to be, first, reduction in disease, bringing about a longer milking life of the cows or in other words the lessening of replacement, and, second, an increase in the production capacity of replacement stock. ■

Mr. Martin said he felt these two matters were so important and vital that he desired to place them before the conference as indicating the road he wanted to travel as far as the production side of the industry was concerned. DROP IN PRODUCTION. Mr. Martin referred to the drop in production in the present season owing to the dry weather.

The farmers, he said, had come through a pretty bad experience, so much so that the March returns were down 3000 tons on the production of March last.year.

That did not represent the whole story. Many of the farmers would be faced with a serious position with regard to winter operations. Unless they could bring their stock safely through the winter conditions, with proper feed and proper attention, it would be impossible for them to ensure adequate production next year. That was a matter which was giving his Department concern, but he felt that with the organisation that existed nothing would be lacking as far as the Department was concerned.

Continuing, Mr. Martin said that in order that the first of the two objectives he had mentioned could be realised, it was essential that an adequate and complete veterinary advisory service should be available to the industry, and in addition to the application of modern existing knowledge on the control of disease, a vigorous research policy was necessary with regard to many diseases. Certain companies already had taken up the question of a veterinary advisory service on behalf of their ; suppliers, but the scheme would never be satisfactory untilit was Dominion-wide and until its development was based on a system somewhat similar in financial machinery to that operating in connection with dairy farm instruction.'Already he had approached the Minister of Finance for funds to make a start with the work, and'the Minister had given his assurance that if it was possible to do so, the necessary money would be forthcoming. CO-ORDINATION OF RESEARCH. Mr. Martin referred to the coordinating steps that have been taken for the furtherance of research, to the appointment in this connection of Dr. J. F. Filmer as Director of Animal Research, and the creation of a new division whose duties are the prosecui tion ■of animal research, with special reference to the control of animal disease. In its extension work in animal husbandry, he "said, the Department also sought the fullest measure of co- | operation from the farming comImunity. ■ . ■

The reduction of replacements brought about by reduction in disease and better general management was, however, Mr. Martin continued, only half the story; complementary was the improvement of the reproductive capacity of replacement stock. Both must come about if dairying was to progress. Low production could be viewed as by far the most serious cause of high replacement in New Zealand. It was clear that the whole conception of herd testing must be altered; hence the proposals of the Dairy Board for the development of a herd improvement plan whereby bull testing took its rightful place along with cow testing. The soundness of the plan was clear, and he desired to associate himself as an advocate of really rational herd testing as contemplated in the herd improvement scheme of the board. Herd testing could also be of enoimous value to research. "Thus," the Minister concluded, "we get the whole story of lessening and bettering of cow replacement, adequate veterinary service, adequate research, adequate cow testing, adequate bull testing, adequate disease and management statistics derived from herd testing, and the adequate incorporation of all the knowledge gained into the dairying industry- There is a big job to do, a worthwhile job to do, and I know that the industry is behind those who are prepared to do the job."

Mr. Martin said that as far as was humanly possible, the proposals he had outlined would be brought into operation as soon as it was possible to do so. There were difficulties, as Mr. Nash had mentioned, at the present time, but, the proposals indicated the line he wished to travel and which the Department wished to travel, and he was sure it was the line also of the dairying industry.