STOCK EMBARGO

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22545, 9 October 1936, Page 15

STOCK EMBARGO

Sir, —In reply to your correspondent Mr. A. E. Robinson, in writing to an English paper J did not say there had never been an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Ireland. What 1 did say was that there had not been to my knowledge, which is quite different, Wlmn I was a boy in the Highlands of Scotland, over.so years ago, there was a serious outbreak in the South of Scotland and England, but Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland entirely escaped. Under present conditions it is almost impossible lor Britain to escape infection. Not only does Britain import meat from South America, she also imports large quantities of maize and other grain, which is just as likely to carry the disease as livestock. Migrating birds or people from the Continent of Europe may also be responsible. and it may come in packing or any other material. British livestock has never introduced the disease to anv of the British Dominions —not even to New Zealand when she imported on a previous occasion when the disease was prevalent in Britain. British farmers are up against it, and the British farmer counts more to Britain than the New Zealand farmer, ff it does come to a levy on New Zealand meat and dairy produce, then the New Zealand Farmers' Union is entirely responsible. I admit the disease may come to New Zealand, but it is more likely to come through any other agency than the importation of British livestock. Ar.Kx. Boyd.