IMPORTING STOCK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20235, 20 April 1929, Page 11

IMPORTING STOCK.

EMBARGO STILL IN FORCE.

BAN ON AMERICA LIFTED.

PERMISSION NOW OBTAINABLE. Until recently New Zealand anr« Australia have been at one in prohibiting the importation of cattle, sheep and pigs from Great Britain and Ireland as a precautionary measure against infection by foot and mouth disease, which is prevalent in certain districts, in the Old Country. Australia has now lifted tho embargo as far as importations from Ireland, Scotland and the Channel Islands arc concerned, while maintaining the prohibition from England. Cattle, sbeep, swine and goats may now be exported to Australia from the countries named, provided that the animals are quarantined for not less than 14 days at the station approved by the British Minister of Agriculture at East India Docks, London. A condition is that fodder for tho exported animals must be obtained from a district which has been free from foot and mouth disease for at least six months. So far, New Zealand has declined to follow Australia's suit. The embargo on stock from Great Britain and Ireland, indeed from all countries except Canada, Tasmania, and lately the United States, has been in force now 'for seven years. The restrictive regulations were brought in on February 23, 1922, the prohibition affecting all cattle, sheep, swine and fodder for live stock from the United Kingdom. Subsequent regulations prohibited similar importations from .the United States and Australia, with the exception of Tasmania. The embargo, while protecting New Zealand from the ravages of the dreaded foot and mouth disease,' has had an adverse effect in restricting improvements in the strain of local stock. It means that, for seven years farmers have been unable to introduce animals for breeding purposes from countries that own the purest bloodstock in the world. There have been a few importations in recent years from Tasmania, and a good many more from Canada, while it may now be expected that animals will be imported from, th# United States. Regulations permitting the introduction of stock from the United States were gazetted on February 16 last. All such imports, whether from the United States, Canada oi Tasmania, must first receive the permission of the Minister of Agriculture, and the animajs are obliged to remain irt quarantine on their arrival in New Zealand for periods ranging up to 60 days. CANTERBURY MARKETS. POSITION OF POTATOES. [BY TELEGRAPH. —rRESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH, Friday. - Notwithstanding that the Auckland market is fully supplied with potatoes, there is quite a firm demand here. This is due mainly to the fact that a fewqj over sellers havo' had to look round taf cover their operations. Farmers are offering very sparingly. Their belief in the outlook for good prices is based on the fact that as digging proceeds a good deal of blight has been revealed. It would be wrong to suggest that the trouble so far a material effect on the yield, but it is enough to firm holders' ideas. The Katoa, which sails to-day, will take a cargo of about 3000 sacks for Auckland. Business has been done in "prompts", at £5 10s, f.0.b., s.i., and the same for May-June (Lyttelton), and at £6 10s to £6 12s 6d for July-Sep-tember. Prices to farmers are £4 ss. The recent shipment of onions from Lyttelton to Sydney is expected to arrive to-day or to-morrow. _ The cablegrams

The recent shipment of onions from Lyttelton to Sydney is expected to arrive to-day or to-morrow. _ The cablegrams state that £l3 10s was realised for New Zealand onions offered the other day, as against £lO 10s'to £ll lis made by tho main pffering of the shipment. Victorians 9ft the same market made £l2, which indicates that the New Zealand shipment must have been of good quality. Another shipment will be made from Lyttelton early next month, and this may be expected to be the final one. Current quotations are £4 15s to £5 a. ton, on trucks. There is not much activity in the milling wheat market, and quotations remain at 5s 8d on trucks for Tuscan.

Fowl wheat is offering forward for MaySeptember at 5s 9d, ' f.0.b., with no buyers. Prompt fowl wheat t i°s worth 5s Bd. There is no life in the oats market. A grade Gartons are quoted at 3s s£d for prompt, and B's at 3s 2d; spread delivery at £d more. Tho present, is an absolutely "off" Season for small seeds. There is,-no change to record in recent quotations.

THE SEARCH FOR OIL. COST IN AUSTRALIA. Australian prosecution of the search for oil continues and its cost is growing. I i the Commonwealth Senate, replying to * question, Senator Pearce stated that dicing the six-year period ended 1927-28 - ing operations in Papua had involved i t expenditure of £1*13,233, while geologi' t survey in Papua and New Guinea in ti*» last year of that period had cost £18,41 Expenditure amounting to £1725 ha I beon incurred on (ho investigation of o i resources in Australia in 1923-24. This figure rose to £3225 following year, but dropped to £651 in 1925-26. That was * the last expense incurred in this direction, but assistance to companies to (.lie extent of £16,021 was granted in 1926-27, while the next year the amount of assistance was £15,556. The search for oil. in the Commonwealth and territories had to date cost £203,459, inclusive of administrative charges of £4638.

LONDON TALLOW PRICES.The Bank of New Zealand has received the following advice from its London office, dated April 17: —Tallow; Thev© is a fair demand. Current quotat ions: Good mutton, 42s 6d per cwt; good beef, 41s 6d; good mixed, 41s; gut, 35s 6d to 37s 6d.