PEDIGREE STOCK

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 8 January 1930, Page 7

PEDIGREE STOCK

EXPORT FROM BRITAIN

ASSISTED PASSAGE SCHEME

A"<> years ago the Empire Marketing Board invited certain Empire Governments to submit schemes for the assistance of the export of pedigree livestock lrom the United Kingdom Lo parts of the Empire anxious to gra<ie II P their stock, with the. object of developing their export trade with the United Kingdom in livestock products. Under these schemes the board was to I P !, ,V half the freight on a limited num-j her of registered pedigree animals bought in Britain by bona-fide stock farmers overseas, and the Empire Governments concerned were to pay the other half of the freight charges. Schemes on these lines wore accordingly framed by a number of Govern rnents-

Figures concerning the operations under these (schemes are now available. They show that when the Kenya Colony scheme came into force on January l'. 1928, 44 cattle (mainly of the Ayrshire, Shorthorn and Bed Poll breeds, in order named). 20 sheep (Dorset- Horns), and eight pigs (Berkshire and Large Black) were exported with assisted passages. The scheme proved such a success during 12 months that- it was extended to the current year, during which tiie Empire Marketing Board is contributing up to a maximum of £ISOO for this purpose. A grant not exceeding I £IOOO has also been made for assisted passages for pedigree stock exported to Northern "Rhodesia- during] 1929, allowing for a- maximum of *4O cattle. 20 sheep, and 20 pigs. PERIOD OF QUARANTINE;. Tiie -scheme for Southern Rhodesia'] came into effect on. April 1, 1928, and I £3OOO was approved by Southern Rhodesia to be devoted to the purpose, of which up to £ISOO was to be provided 1 bv the Empire Marketing Board. During the year 107 pedigree animals were exported under the scheme; in this case only cattle were included. Red Polls, Sussex and Ayrshire were the most popular breeds. The scheme was renewed for the current year (up to March 31, 1930) and a total of £4OOO (half, as usual, to come out of the Empire Marketing Fund) Ims been set aside. Pedigree ewes and rams are now included.

Animals must pass through the London f/im ran tine station land 01 idlergo a subsequent 28 days’ detention at Capetown. Southern Rhodesia has aHreadv established a market in Great iiriitaiii for live stock ’products, and this is rapidly expanding. There arc immense possibilities in the growth of a live stock export trade with Great Britain., anti atfiso in. tfio d<? vdo pm on t of chilled or frozen meat exports, and a shortage of good sires has hitherto proved one of the main obstacles to such developments. Following the success of these three schemes, similar ones were submitted bv the Governments of Australia. British Columbia., land the Falkland Islands, and were approved by the Empire Marketing Board recently. The export, from the United; Kingdom to Australia of 180 head of cattle. 250 sheep, and .1.00 swine, is estimated for, and tiie cost of the passage is. to be borne bv the purchaser, the Commonwealth Government land the State Gov-

ernment concerned, and the Empire Marketing Board. This will cover all i>ort-to-nort expenses. There, will be no freight charges, since, all but one. of the shipping companies: have (agreed' to carry such stock freight free. The scheme is' to take effect from October 1 1929. tby maximum cost, to the Em-

pire Marketing Board to be £SOOO.

BRITISH COLUMBIA SCHEME

The scheme for British Columbia is on the .same lines as that for Kenya, the cost being divided) between the Government of British Columbia and the Empire Marketing Board. A shipment- of 45 head of registered Ayrshire cattle, some of which were presented to the University of British. Columbia;, was recently sent from Glasgow to Vancouver. A similar scheme for the Falkland Islands will be applied only to sheep. a.s woo] accounts for over 90 per cent, of the Colony’s exports, a total of nearly 4.000,0001 b, value £236000. having been exported, almost entirely to Great Britain in 1927. The London quarantine station, established' at the expense of the Empire Marketing Fund, and nVaniaged by the Roval Agricultural Society of England. has now been in existence for iust over ]R months. Stock intended for export, to several of the Dominions and Colonies is confined in the station for 14 days, at a nominal fee. The station is regularly used by the Union of South Africa. Southern Rhodesia', and the. Irish Free State: and Northern Rhodesia.. Trinidad, Cyprus, and Northern Ireland have recently decided to accept stock which has passed through it. From the date of opening. April 4. 1928, to August 14 Inst.. 676 head of stock had passed through. The accommodation consists of 18 stalls and 26 boxes, and about 50 head j of cattle and 70 sheep, of pigs, can be managed during anv one. period.