JERSEY BREEDERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23516, 2 June 1938, Page 9

JERSEY BREEDERS

NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING (Special to Daily Times) INVERCARGILL, June 1. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Jersey Cattle Breeders’ Association was held at Invercargill to-day. Mr G. H. Bell, president of the New Zealand Council, was chairman. The annual report stated that the membership stood at 1802. The. registration figures for herds represented an advance on the previous year’s record, the numbers being 5990 males and 9614 females. The demand for Jerseys had resulted in the transfer of 5001 females and 4977 males, that being altogether an increase of 773 over last year’s figures, while the number of female transfers constituted a record over any previous year. Satisfaction was expressed at the results of the C.O.R. testing. There was a slight increase in the number of cows tested, whilst the resultant productions proved the undoubted capabilities of the breed. No fewer than 8621 yearly first-class certificates had been gained by Jerseys since the inauguration of C.O.R. testing, and the average production for this large total was 467.361 b but-ter-fat. A total of £2269 19s was paid by way of C.O.R. subsidies during the period under review, the association thereby continuing its policy of distributing a large proportion of its funds for the benefit of its members. The amount of £ 1599 was earned by 445 cows owned by 171 members, and an extra amount of £670 19s was paid to the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture for the first cow entered for test by any member. The balance sheet showed a profit of £2BB on the year’s working. Registrations had brought in £3243, transfer fees £1319, members’ subscriptions £1283, interest £576, and rent £473.

Moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, the chairman said that it was the second annual meeting to bo held in the South Island, one having been held at Nelson some years ago. From the dairying point of view the season had, generally speaking, been a good one, but in many cases production had not been up to expectations. Some large sales of jerseys had been held during the year at very satisfactory prices. Consistent testing of animals was necessary, so that breeders could base their farming practice on something concrete. He referred to the £2BB profit on the year’s working and stated that the reserve account, which had been built up during the depression, had been drawn on for £2269 in subsidies during the year. Since 1926, £58,934 had been returned to members in subsidies for testing. Of late years there had been some criticism of the scheme of herd testing. It was alleged that it encouraged the raising of the butterfat content of milk rather than the yield. Mr Bell said he had thoroughly investigated the position as president for many years of the Taranaki Herd Testing Association and had. found that milk production, especially among Jerseys, had not suffered.

The association had repaid to its members by subsidies about half of the registration fees paid, said Mr C. G. C. Dermer. The association fees were among the lowest in the world. He claimed that the C.O.R. system of testing should not take second place to the O.H.T. test, as undue emphasis on the latter would mean that the smaller breeder would gain all the best records and the larger breeder, or one on poor country, would be left behind. Pedigree was the basis of breeding. Compulsory classification would eventually have to be made compulsory, but its cost would be great. The report and balance sheet were adopted. Messrs E. ■D. McLennan (Papakura), W. H. Booth (Carterton) and C. J. C. Dermer (Feilding) were elected life-members of the association. Mr R. O. Leach was declared elected as the Hawke’s Bay member of the council, and Mr J. H. Morison (North Auckland) as the northern member.