ROADSIDE INSPECTIONS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18900, 30 December 1935, Page 4

ROADSIDE INSPECTIONS

CLEANLINESS OP SHEEP LICE INFESTATION ACTION IN GISBORNE Roadside inspections of slice]) will be instituted in the Gisborne district after the holidays by the Live Stock Division, in an attempt to minimise lice infestation. In view of the many thousands of sheep which will be on the road after the holidays, this announcement will be of the utmost importance to sheep owners and drovers of the Gisborne district, and it is believed that’most of the 300,000 sheep moving from Gisborne and tlic Coast to the Waikato will be inspected by the division’s local staff, Messrs. F. R. Bould and T. French. Mr. Bould, senior stock inspector, stated to-day that since his earlier announcement that farm and roadside inspections would be made, in addition to those at the saleyards, he had been on a number of properties, and found that, the sheep were in reasonably good condition. The purposes of such visits was to advise farmers on the cleanliness of their sheep, in order to avoid a recurrence of prosecutions as a result of offering lice-infcsted sheep for sale. Despite the many prosecutions' each year, the lice infestation did not, seem to be reduced, and the new method was being given a trial. It was hoped that by cooperating with farmers to the utmost an improvement would be effected. So far, no roadside inspections had been made, Mr. Bould continued, but these would commence immediately after the holidays, or simultaneously with the large exodus of sheep from the district. Sheep would he inspected in most, parts of -the district, and on lice being found in any mob the drover would be notified to have the sheep dipped at the first, opportunity. Failure to comply would result in prosecution.

Tt. was not proposed to neglect saleyard visits, Mr. Bould continued. These would he commenced at, the first, sale of the year, and would continue throughout the season. The same procedure as before would be adopted.