HERD TESTING

Northern Advocate, 22 June 1925, Page 7

HERD TESTING

ANOTHER £6,000,000 A YEAR,

GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY SOUGHT

An increase of 101b in the average production per cow would represent an increase of £1,000,000 per annum to the income of New Zealand. By increasing the aver.ige from 1801b to 2501b, which could be done in six years by group herd testing and calf; marking, an increased revenue of at least £0,000,000 per annum would accrue. Such were amongst the claims put forward by Messrs C. M. Hume (general manager) and R. M. Somerville (a director), of the New Zealand Co-operative Herd Testing Association, last week in asking the Minister of Agriculture (Hon. W. Nosworthy) to grant a subsidy in order that herd testing might be made general throughout the Dominion. The deputation was accompanied by Mr \V. Grounds (chairman of the Dairy Control Board) and Mr G. Finn (representing commercial interests).

Mr Grounds said tli.it the Control Board had investigated the system of group herd testing, and had no hesitation in recommending the Government to support it by way of a subsidy. The Control Board had no power by winch it could financially assist the scheme. In order to successfully compete in the world's markets it was absolutely necessary that the average production of dairy cows should be raised.

Mr Somerville, in outlining tlie policy of the Herd Testing Association, laid particular stress upon the necessity for semi-official testing, ■which Ha.d already done so much in building up an overseas market for New Zealand pedigree stock He touched upon the method of individual testing, where the farmer takes the ■weights and samples from each cow and sends them to the factory for testing, and pointed out that neither of these methods had increased the average butter-fat production. The average production for .New Zealand, he said, was 1781b of butterfat, as against 2481b for Denmark. The co-operative dairy companies of the South Auckland district were prepared to find fid per cow by way of subsidy to group testing, provided the Government would subsidise to the extent of Is per cow. He referred to what other countries were doing in the way of subsiutovjg herd testing. Subsidies were being paid in Denmark, Northern Island, United States of America, and Australia, and in England last year the Government- had subsidised 137,000 cows to the extent of Is (3d per cow. An increase of 101b in the average production per cow would represent on increase of £1,000,000 per annum to the income of New Zealand. By increasing the average from 1801b to 2501b, which could be done in six years through universal group herd testing and calfmarking, an increased revenue of at least £6.000,000 per annum would accrue to the Dominion.

Mr Hume pointed out that under the individual system of testing the progressive farmer had improved his herd, but owing to the fact that the cull cows passed from one farmer to another, the industry as a whole had shown no improvement. His association was of opinion that the only satisfactory method of eliminating the cull cow was through a system of branding. All cows tested would be branded. In the evene of a cow being sold, the presence of a brand would call for a rroduction card being submitted with the animal. The low producer would, therefore, go right out of the industry, as her figures would prove her unprofitable. The association was not strong enough to make branding compulsory. It felt, however, that should a subsidy he granted the Government would nave i unique opportunity through branding of eliminating the cull cow. The association was inaugurating a calf-murk-

nig scheme for next year, whereby the heifer calves from animals producing 2001b of butter-fat or over would be marked by way of tatoo in the ear, and a complete register kept. These calves must he by a registered pedigree sire, and in addition a declaration would have to be made in respect of each entry. This system would tend to only the best calves being' reared, and, a few years lienee, only "marked" heifers being offered in the salevards. It was S afe to assume that in the near future the financial institutions would advance only on "marked" stock. It was considered that the herd testing system as now outlined; was. absolutely complete, and after a three-years' trial fhoy could confidently recommend it to the Minister as being worthy of Government support:. In vepiy, the Minister said lie wished it to be clearly understood that he was not antagonistic in any way to the system of testing, as carried out by the Herd Testing Association. He had realised for a number of years past that some definite scheme should lie brought in to improve the average production throughout ]\ T ew Zealand. Finance, however, was the deciding factor. He had already agreed to the. subsidising of laboratories at Wallaceville and Hawera. lie would look carefully into the matter with an unbiased mind, and would do what he poss'bly could to meet the requests of the deputation.

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