INSPECTION OF MEAT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 654, 4 May 1929, Page 27

INSPECTION OF MEAT

LAXITY IN NEW SOUTH WALES Serious allegations of laxity in meat inspection in the north and north-west of New South Wales were made on March 11 by the newly-appointed president of the Stock Inspectors’ Institute, Mr. C. J. Woollett. Speaking at the annual conference of the institute, he said there were reasonable grounds to assume that 230 head of diseased cattle were slaughtered for human consumption last year in those areas. Out of 20,959 head of cattle killed in the north and north-west,” said Mr. Woollett, “only 11 were condemned, whereas, assuming the incidence of disease to be the same as among those killed at the abbatoirs, there would have been more than 240 condemned had the standard of inspection been the same.

“To put it mildly,” Mr, Woollett said, “the supervision of the meat supply in most country towns is entirely unsatisfactory, and calls for action that will safeguard public health to a much greater extent than at present.”

INFECTIOUS ABORTION ERADICATION IN AMERICA Establishing and maintenance of abortion-free herds has been carried on by periodic blood testing and complete segregation of non-reacting animals and disposal of reactors at the Connecticut Experimental Station (United States). The eradication plan has been in progress in this State for over four years. We have at present 16 clean herds and 20 which are partially rid of the disease. These herds vary in size from 20 to 100 animals. Some are breeding herds and some are commercial dairies. In every case the results have been the same. Milk production has increased, the condition of the animals has been greatly improved, and there has been a very small percentage of abortions. Breeding has become more regular and there have been fewer cases of temporary or permanent sterility. The calf crop has been large. Herds which had been previously operated at a loss have become paying investments.— From 1928 Report of the Director of Storrs Experimental Station.

VALUE OF GOOD STOCK It seems that, there should be little doubt as to whether a man would prefer to keep 10 cows or 30 to 100 to make a clear profit of £2OO a year, says “Hoard’s Dairyman.” Yet many dairymen are keeping the kind of cows that require the'higher number iu a herd to furnish the profit. Cows producing less than 3001 b of butter-fat in a year lose money for their owner, providing he receives market price for feed given them, according to R. C. Jones, extension specialist in dairying at the State College of Washington. When the profit per cow was figured from the records of the Skagis County Dairy Herd Improvement Association, it was shown that it takes three 3221 b cows to equal the profit of one cow producing 3701 b. About five 3221 b cows will equal one 4251 b cow in profit. Six and one-half 3221 b cows are needed to equal the profit of one 4771 b cow, and eleven 3221 b cows will equal but one 5761 b cow in profit. This great difference is due to the fact that high-producing cows produce a pound of butter-fat at a much lower cost, and thus return a higher profit.