TUBERCULOSIS TESTS

Taranaki Daily News, 3 November 1934, Page 24 (Supplement)

TUBERCULOSIS TESTS

FREEDOM OF DAIRY HERDS CHANCE OF GREAT ADVERTISEMENT Some of the remarks made by that eminent practical scientist Dr. Arnold Theiler, formerly director of veterinary research to the South African Government, in an interview with a representative of the Daily News should be taken seriously to heart by every dairy farmer and everyone interested in the industry. It would certainly be a stupendous advertisement for New Zealand dairy produce to be able to announce that the produce came from herds that, could be guaranteed entirely free from tuberculosis. It should be worth while going to considerable trouble and expenditure to stamp out tuberculosis in order to give New Zealand produce such a great “boost.”

New Zealand's competitors are making strenuous endeavours to reduce the tuberculosis percentage, which in most cases is much greater than in New Zealand. Since the war the United States, which is fortunately not a competitor with New Zealand, has tackled the matter very seriously, with the result that the number of tuberculosis infected cows has been reduced to less than 1 pet cent, and complete eradication appears to be in sight, no fewer than 30,000,000 tests having been made last year. Canada, too, which competes with New Zealand in cheese, is making determined efforts to reduce the percentage, no fewer than 7,000,000 tests having been taken last year. Denmark, New Zealand’s great competitor in the butter market, has also been testing for several years and has succeeded in reducing the percentage somewhat but. has a very long way to go yet, as the percentage is in the vicinity of 40, or two out of every five cows. Compared with that percentage New Zealand dairy herds are comparatively free of tuberculosis, the number of infected cows being under 5 per cent, based on the slaughtering returns. If serious efforts were made a few years should suffice to see New Zealand in the proud position of being able to announce to the world that its herds were free of tuberculosis. BRITISH FARM METHODS HIGHLY EFFICIENT PRODUCTION. RESULTS OF FREE COMPETITION. “The failure of the British farmer to compete with the new countries is not due to inefficiency. On the contrary, the severe competition of his overseas competitors has made him highly efficient in those methods of production for which our relatively small farms are adapted,” says Mr. John Boyd Orr in the report on the National Food Supply and the .Influence on Public Health. “The main reason why the cost of production is higher in England than in these new countries is that in the new countries farming tends to be run on the extensive method which gives a lower output per acre, but a much higher output per man. “In Britain, with its small farms, farming is run more intensively, giving a higher output per acre, but a. much lower output per man. Thus, for example, in meat production on the Argentine ranches, one man may look after 300 or 400 head of cattle, whereas with our intensive methods of indoor fattening in winter it would require more than 10 times the amount of labour to look after the same number of animals. It is the amount of labour required by our methods which is the main reason for our high cost of production. It has been suggested by some that the present low price of food is a danger to our supply. It has been argued that production will become unremunerative and farmers wUI stop producing. Those, who entertain this fear have under-estimated the ease of production and the urge to , produce. “With continuous improvement in methods, the cost of production is steadily falling, and under a system of free competition it is difficult to predict the levels to which cost of production will fall in the future. In any case, even at the present low price, it is difficult to stop the production of wheat. The same is true of most other foodstuffs. The grass will grow and the cattle and sheep will reproduce with a supreme indifference to the world price for . beef or mutton. Fresh fruit, which at one time was a luxury in winter, enjoyed only by the relatively well-to-do, is now sold off barrows in the street in the poorest districts of our cities to the great improvement of the health of the community.”