STOCK EMBARGO

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 110, 12 May 1939, Page 16

STOCK EMBARGO

BREEDER'S VIEWS

DOMINION HANDICAPPED

(Special to the "Evening Post.")

MASTERTON, This Day. An emphatic opinion that the embargo on the direct importation of livestock from Great Britain serves no useful purpose whatever and prejudices seriously some important branches of Zealand farming industry, was expressed by Mr. John Ogilvie of "Ngawaka," Gladstone, to "The Post representative yesterday. Mr Ogilvie returned recently after spending six weeks in Australia, where he judged the Aberdeen Angus classes at the Royal Show at Sydney- From his observations, Mr. Ogilvie is deeply impressed with the great benefits Australia is deriving from the unrestricted importation of stud stock from Britain, and, on the other hand, with the handicap New Zealand incurs by shutting herself off from these benefits. He is convinced that this country will never make the progress it should in the production of beef for chilling until the embargo is lifted. ' , On occasion, Mr. Ogilvie said, a draft of beef cattle may be seen, w this country which was ideal for chilling, but it was not yet possible to maintain a constant flow of animals uniformly of the same high standard. The necessary stud stock was not now in the Dominion, and it could not be i brought in while the embargo on direct importation remained in force. The importation of an occasional bull fell hopelessly short of what was required. "We want them in boat-loads," Mr. Ogilvie declared, "and that over a period of years." At present, however, he went on to state, the importation even of an occasional bull was an extremely costly business—so costly that there was no question of large numbers being brought in. Indirect importation, by way of Tasmania, doubled, or more ikan doubled, the cost of the animals, 'jyfcr Ogilvie instanced his own purchase of two bulls in Scotland in February. It was the following November, nearly nine months later, before they were on his farm. One bull was purchased ||pr 475 guineas, but it cost over a fbousand guineas landed in New Zea-

3f* frtud stock could be imported ectty much larger numbers would ifee brought in and the costs ol importation over and above purchase price would be reduced to a relatively small figure. Conditions would then be established in which New Zealand would be able to develop its chilled beef trade to the very best advantage and to establish uniformly high standards of quality now unattainable. Only the embargo stood in the way, and i veterinary and other scientific opm|ion was unanimous in declaring that no additional risk whatever would be entailed in lifting the embargo. Under the quarantine system developed, there was an absolute safeguard against foot-and-mouth disease being brought ?.n from Britain by stud stock. "I don't think we shall be able to improve our chilled beef here to the right standard till we get the embargo off," concluded Mr. Ogilvie.