EMBARGO ON STOCK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22268, 22 May 1934, Page 10

EMBARGO ON STOCK

ITS REMOVAL ADVOCATED* NEED FOR NEW BLOOD "The lifting.of the present embargo on the importation of live stock Unto New Zealand from Great Britain is ais absolute necessity for the future welfare'of our stock and industries," said Dr E; C. Barnett, of Palm'erston North, in an interview with a of; the Dominion, when replying to opinions expressed last week iiy Mr Freeborn Parsons, of Martinborough, that the lifting of the embargo was unnecessary. Dr Barnett is a well-known, practical farmer and for many years he has keenly advocated the lifting of the embargo in the interests of the Dominion's primary industries. In 19S0 he visited England,, and' during that visit he -made extensive inquiries regarding foot-and-mouth dis-. tfase, especially .from the scientific-point of view. ''" " '"'■'" '':

WILL, BE LEFT BEHIND

"Since 1927 Australia has been ■ importing the best beef breeds, and. sheep,; and we in this country are going to,'Be? left behind if we do not lift the present em- 1 bargo," Dr Barnett said. "At this time, when we should be doing'everything possible to placate Great Britain, it would be a fine gesture on the part of the farmers of this country to say to the:English farmers: 'We are :going ;to /take your stock.'" Dr Barnett said that he disagreed with .the. statement of Mr. Parsons that the stock was not in need of new blood. ... " I am convinced., that,-, under, proper and-striet regulations, ; there, is. absolutely no danger, of foob-andmibuth disease being brought. into this country by the importation of stock," Dr Barnett .said. "In comparing New. Zealand ..and England, Mr Parsons, of-Martinborough;-hus not allowed for the fact that New Zealand is 13.000 miles distant from the source of infection, whereas England is only some eight hours' distant. He refers to the stock that is slaughtered in England, but' he says .nothing., about the amount of disease which is always present upon the Continent and is brought into England, although every precaution is taken by the English- authorities to prevent it.,. It is/impossible to guard all avenues of infection. :'-y.H'.■'. -."

CARRIERS OF DISEASE! ' "Another reference which Mr .Parsons made was to the ...wild -.deer, goats,' and pigs in New Zealand. •In England and Scotland deer are plentiful, and in-many cases are almost domestic animals',•.■but;as far as I know, no case of ease has yet been reported .among! them. Another point frequently .raised by those who are opposed v.io the • lifting of the embargo is the question of carriers. The latest work on the disease proves that it is almost .impossible on account of the virulence of the virus for any beast to be a carrier of the' disease without contracting, the disease' itself.

" Under the proposed regulations, no beast that has had the disease will be allowed to be exported. Further, no beast will be allowed to be -exported within a period of two years from a district in which there has been an outbreak of the disease. One must understand, when considering _ the dissease, that the maximum incubation period is 14 days. Under the regulations, all beasts selected for export will be picked up in disinfected railway trucks or special motor lorries and transported direct to the quarantine station on the banks of the Thames, where they will be kept for a period of 14 days. The stock will be inspected daily during its stay there.

AUSTRALIA'S EXPERIENCES. "At the expiration of the quarantine period, the stock will be lifted straight on board ship and to New Zealand, the journey taking from, five to six weeks. On arrival; iin New Zealand the •stock will be quarantined for another 60 days, making n total of 210 days from the time the stock was taken from the English farms. " Australia has been importing stock under similar regulations since 1927, and no case of foot-and-mouth disease has occurred in that country during that period. At the present tinle all stock imported into New Zealand has to spend three months >in Australia, so that the proposed direct importation would only reduce the present time by a mouth. However, it would result in an enormous re* duction in the cost of importing the stock.

■" As an added precaution, the regulations could be so framed that all the fodder required for the animals during the trip could be sent from New Zealand. If this were done, it would entirely remove any possibility of infection. The considered, opinion of all those who are in accord with the lifting of the embargo, including practically every veterinary surgeon in New Zealand, is that if foot-and-mouth disease ever entered New Zealand, it would not do so through the direct importation of live stock.*'