STOCK EMBARGO

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 May 1939, Page 8

STOCK EMBARGO

EFFECT ON NEW ZEALAND 4 I VIEW OF WAIRARAPA BREEDER. CHILLED BEEF EXPORT PREJUDICED. An emphatic opinion that the embargo on the direct importation of livestock from Great Britain serves no useful purpose whatever and prejudices seriously some important branches of New Zealand farming industry was expressed by Mr John Ogilvie, of “Ngawaka,” Gladstone, to a “TimesAge” representative yesterday. Mi' Ogilvie, returned a fortnight ago after spending six weeks in Australia, where he judged the Aberdeen Angus classes at the Royal Show at Sydney. From his observations, Mr Ogilvie is deeply impressed with the great benefits Australia is deriving from the unrestricted importation of stud stock from Britain, and, on the other hand, with the handicap Nev/ Zealand incurs by shutting herself off from these benefits. He is convinced that this country will never make the progress it should in the vproduction of beef fo” chilling until the embargo is lifted. On occasion, Mr Ogilvie observed, a draft of beef cattle may be seen in this country which is ideal for chilling, but it is not yet possible to maintain a contant flow of animals uniformly of the same high standard. The necessary stud stock is not now in the Dominion, and it cannot be brought in while the embargo on direct importation remains in force. The importation of an occasional bull falls hopelessly short of what is required.' "We want them in boat-loads,” Mr Ogilvie declared, "and that over a period of years.” At present, however, he went on to state, the importation even of an occasional bull was an extremely costly business —so costly that there was no question of large numbers being brought in. Indirect importation, by way of Tasmania, doubled, or more than doubled the cost of the animals. Mr Ogilvie instanced his own purchase of two bulls in Scotland in the month of February. It was the following November, nearly nine months later, before they were on his farm. One bull was purchased for 475 guineas, but it cost over a thousand guineas landed in New Zealand.

If stud stock could be imported directly, he added, much larger numbers would be brought in and the costs of importation over and above purchase price would be reduced to a relatively small figure. Conditions would then be established in which New Zealand would be able to develop its chilled beef trade to the very best advantage and to establish uniformly high standards of quality now unattainable. Only the embargo stood in the way, and veterinary and other scientific opinion was unanimous in declaring that no additional risk whatever would be entailed in lifting the embargo. Under the quarantine system developed, there was an absolute safeguard against foot and mouth disease being brought in from Britain by stud stock. "I don’t think we shall be able to improve our chilled beef here to the right standard till we" get the embargo □fl’,” was Mr Ogilvie’s parting word.