Oppose Compulsion In Herd-Testing

Northern Advocate, 24 July 1943, Page 5

Oppose Compulsion In Herd-Testing

While fully convinced of the necessity for herd testing, the Whangarei branch of the Farmers’ Union is* strongly averse to making it compulsory. This was the decision reached today at a meting of the branch held in Whangarei. In raising the subject, Mr li. M. May said he favoured herd testing but was against compulsion, of which there was too much today. The majority of the farmers appreciated that testing was in their best interests hut some might not be in a position to have this done, and therefore should not he compelled. Mr C. Edge expressed the opinion that men returning from overseas to their farms, or taking up farming should not be compelled to test, 1 A member: We cannot have our dinner without compulsion. The president (Mr F. Simmonds) who was in uniform said the Minister had arbitrarily assessed the production of cows at 2iioll>s lnitterfai, while the average per cow in the north was lsolb. hi order to get the full benefit of the. guaranteed price the farmers must get their average production up to the Minister's assessment. This should be the objective of every farmer, and it was in his- interest to test, until such time as the average production per cow reached the L'.jOlbs standard, so long would the farmer go short of the full advantage of the guaranteed price. It .was quite possible, said the president, that farmers replacement cows might not be as good as some of those rejected. Farmers could not reach the ,250)bs standard other than on first class land, said Mr li. M. May. Many farmers were milking on second class land which required to be heavily manured. He moved that the branch, while fully convinced of the necessity for herd testing, was stmngyl averse to making it compulsory. This was seconded by Mr A. Winter and carried unanimously.