AID FOR HERD TESTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20922, 11 July 1931, Page 12

AID FOR HERD TESTING.

SUBSIDY BY DAIRY BOARD. REDUCING COST TO FARMERS. IMPORTANCE OF PRODUCTION. [BY TKT.KGRAI'H. —-PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Friday. The Dairy Produce Board decided this week that, subject to the necessary powers being secured from Hie Government, tho board should contribute up to £6OOO to the herd-testing movement, for the coming season, with the object of making a further'rebate of 6tl a cow to farmers testing under the Group Herd Testing Federation.

Mr. Dynes Fulton, president of (he federation, pointed out to Hie board that it was essential, owing to the economic position, for every encouragement to be given to maintain production. Tho Government was assisting the movement by £BOOO, thus permitting a rebate of 6d a cow tested, but it was desired to bring the cost to the. farmer down from an average of 5s to 3s Cd a cow. It was hoped to save 6d a cow through economies and lower costs, but tho board's subsidy would enable a rebato of a further fid to be made.

Through herd-testing work the average production per cow had been raised from I80!b. butter-fat to 2181b., said Mr. Fulton, and the objective was an average output per cow of 3001b. fat throughout the Dominion. This was possible, provided the, continuity of the. work was not interrupted through the depression. Holp from the Dairy Board would bo remunerative, in that it would increase exports and so enable the money to come back to the board later by additional revenue from the export lev}-. Mr. W. D. Hunt emphasised the paramount need for maintaining; production. which was endangered by the reduced income of farmers. An indication of that was already apparent in tho drop of 1,500,000 in the sheep returns. Mr. Hunt quoted figures in connection with tho fer» tiliser Industry to show the trend of reduced use of fertiliser by farmers. Australian and Argentine primary producers were benefiting by the premium accorded by the exchange position, but that was being withheld from New Zealand farmers by the restrictions upon the exchange rate. It would bo wise for the Dairy Board to help dairy farmers to continue testing as a distinct aid to extra production.