Eczema Losses Exaggerated

Northern Advocate, 30 July 1938, Page 9

Eczema Losses Exaggerated

I' Special to “Northern. AdvOc'K c*.”] WELINGTON, Friday. The estimate of losses of sheep as a result of the recent outbreak of facial eczema were exaggerated, according to a statement made by Mr. J. S. Jesscp. vice-president of the New Zealand Sheep Owners' Federation, at the annual meeting in Wellington yesterday. With the experience of three years ago, when facial eczema broke out, the same course was followed this year, with the result that, although many areas of land had been badly affected, the losses wore nothing like what reports would lead one to believe. Alarming reports were made concerning sheep in the Waikato that could do no good to the New Zealand meat trade.’The outbreak had certainly been severe, but reports that the losses exceeded 1.250,000 in the Auckland province was gross exaggeration. 70 per cent Less. In the entire Auckland sheep district, stretching from Cape Runaway Taupe, Taumarunui, and across to the West Coast, and up to the Far North, there were only 3,800,000 sheep in all. In the district badly affected there were not more than 1,000.000 and. allowing for losses among cattle, the estimate of 1,250.000 could be cut down by at least 70 per cent.