HERD-TESTING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5454, 29 July 1929, Page 2

HERD-TESTING.

MEETING OF ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL REPORT PRESENTED. In ‘he chairman’s report of the season 1928-29 of the N.Z. Co-operative Herd-testing Association, it is stated, in the matter of subsidy, that after the last annual meeting of the association it received from the Government the sum of £3444 2s as its proportion of the subsidy for that season. The association was allowed to retain sufficient to liquidate the plant account, namely, £2906 10s 6d, leaving a balance of £537 Ils 6d. It was expected that this amount would be credited to the plant account this season, but the Department of Agriculture had notified that this must be returned to those members who were testing in the 1927-28 season, despite the faet that in some cases the refund would be a trifling amount only. These refunds, however, would be held up until after October 20. Refunds. Refunds would be dealt with as follows :— “To these farmers who ate not testing next year, the refund will be made by cheque after October 20. “To those farmers who will be testing during the ensuing season, their proportion of the subsidy will, with their consent, be credited towards their testing fees for the coming season. Advisory Council. “The Minister of Agriculture has set up a herd-testing advisory council, which will act as a connecting link between the Federation and the Department of Agriculture. The council will consist of eight members, namely, the Director-General of Agriculture, the Director of the Dairy Di vision, the chairman of the N.Z. Dairy Produce Board, Professor W. Riddet, of Massey College, and four members of the federation, one of whom is to be chairman of the council. The federation members are Messrs Dynes Fulton (ch. -irman), G. H. Bell (Taranaki), G. R. Herron (Southland), and P. W. Hill (Northern Wairoa). “The Advisory Council'will in effect ay down the policy for group herd testing, but the management committee of the federation will be responsible for that polity being carried out. The council will also decide on the allocaticn of any Government subsidies towards herd testing. It is anticipated that the Advisory Council will set aside a sum of money to enable the federation to appoint an officer to give practically his full time to the working of the various associations throughout the Dominion. Whilst the question of subsidy for the coming season is not definitely settled, it is anticipated that the subsidy will be forthcoming on approximately the same basis as last year. General Nates. “A further expansion has taken place in the work of the association during the past season, and in view of the fact that membership in. future will be open to any dairy farmer the directors anticipate a cosiderable further expansion during the coming season. “Annual group meetings were again he’d, but it was not possible to complete all of these before the close of the financial year, May 31. The. absence of a definite decision from the Government so far as the subsidy was concerned automatically held up the meetings. “The calf-marking scheme is now accepted as the most important part of the herd improvement campaign, and is being supported by more members year by year. Calf marking was devised by the association, and has now bee’n in operation for four seasons, and the first year 641 calves were marked, the next year 1541, the next year 3339, and for the season just completed over 5000 calves were marked by the association. Included in the latter figures are 30 calves marked under, the pedigree bull calf scheme. “No marked calf fairs were held during the past season, as insufficient calves were offering. It appears that most calves last year changed hands before they were a month old. “The highest group in the association for the past season was Ngarua, with an average of 304.711 b fat in 276 days, of 984 cows. Manawaru, with an average of 2841 b fat, was second, after having led the association for the previous three years. Ngarua is the second group to achieve the objective of 3001 b fat per cow. “The honour’ of having the highest cow in the association again goes to Mr J. L. Clark, of Manawaru, whose cow Violet, a grade Jersey, produced 7691 b fat in 284 days. This is the first time on record that a cow has taken the henour two years in succession. The complete figures for the previous season were 8271 b fat in 293 days. “As the Government insists on the subsidy being returned to the testing dairy farmers the directors decided on the following charges for the ensuing season : A herd fee of £5 per herd, plus 3s pei’ cow for those cows eligible for payment. In the event of a herd being on the alternative system the herd fee will be reduced by half, though certain eases (such as herds of under, say, 10 cows) must be considered on their merits. It is also likely that the management may be faced with the problem .of varying this scale in certain districts where there are few large herds.”