Suitable Branding Method Sought

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31092, 22 June 1966, Page 10

Suitable Branding Method Sought

Concern at the lack of a suitable material for marking wool was expressed in a remit from the HawardenAmuri high-country sub-section of Federated Farmers, which was carried at the annual conference of South Island high-country sub-sections, at Timaru on Monday.

Mr C. A. Nurse, of Hawarden, said that in his district there had been quite a lot of sheep stealing or sheep going missing, and unless there was some sort of mark on the wool it was difficult to do anything about the losses. On a property where the main road went past the gate, he said, 30 sheep were put in a small paddock. About three days later there were only five left.

The conference approved an Otago remit that the appropriate authority should be asked to hasten the development of a more suitable wool marking material. "Isn’t an earmark a sufficient identification of your stock, as against someone else’s?" asked the chairman, (Mr P. C. Ensor). Mr C. R. Scott (Wakatipu) said that in the present form, an earmark was not sufficient. In the high country a brand was necessary, he said. Mr A Scaife (Wanaka) said he did not think that farm-

ers would get anywhere if they proposed going back to a liquid brand. The abolition of brands had' been accepted in his area because it was realised that the Wool Board had decided to do away with brands to make New Zealand’s wool clip more competitive with synthetics. The conference also approved an Otago proposal that the co-operation of Department of Agriculture livestock instructors in all areas should be sought in handling applications for new ear-marks or the reallocation of ear-marks where existing marks were causing trouble.