CHANGING SYSTEM

Waikato Independent, Volume XLIII, Issue 6025, 25 September 1946, Page 2

CHANGING SYSTEM

SHEEP RETURNS TO BE MADE EVERY TWO YEARS IN FUTURE Mentioning that the Government had decided that sheep returns be taken only every two years, Mr G. H. Grigg, chairman, of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board, said in his address at the board’s annual meeting that the Government should alter the date of this census. The board had always been of the opinion that the census of sheep flocks should be taken after the export killing, on June 30th, instead of threequarter way through the season as at present. That would give a true picture of capital stocks, as against the figures taken at April 30th. No satisfactory reason has yet been advanced by the Government why the present unsatisfactory date of census taking should be retained. A change in date would destroy the value of past returns for comparisons, but the greater reliability of the new figures would offset that disadvantage.

Mr W. Malcolm, Oamaru, said the statistics should be collected every year, because they were of value to the meat industry in assessing its trends.

The chairman, Mr H. G. Grigg, said the board had objected to the returns being made only every two years.