N. Guinea Cattle

Industry

May be Re-established: Value of Zebu Strain

A PROMISING cattle-raising industry was being built up in the Markham- Ramu tablelands area of New Guinea before the Jap invasion. All the fresh beef that could be raised there found a ready market in the Morobe goldfield centres; and this profitable trade was assisting men like Mr. J. J.

Toogood to establish cattle-farms. Most of the early difficulties had been over come, and the herds were increasing steadily.

Mr. Toogood was in Sydney in Decem er, and eager to get back to New Guinea.

He expects that he will have to start cattle-raising all over again; but now he has learned much bv trial and error, and he expects to start on the job of re-establishing his herds as soon as the Canberra bureaucrats give him a travel permit.

“Regulations are urgently needed in New Guinea to control the spread of diseases in stock,” he said, when pointing out that Government assistance is neces sary. “Animals taken to the Territory are subject to all kinds of parasites— especially the buffalo fly and ticks. But some districts are still clean —and can be kept clean, if regulations were en forced. At present, cattle can be taken from one district to another without any inspection or check.

“Experience has shown that our Euro pean cattle will do no good in New Guinea unless they have from one sixteenth to one-eighth of Zebu strain.

That does not represent enough Zezu to spoil the beast’s Euronean qualities, but it does allow the animal to withstand the pests and rigours of the climate.

“Most people say that mules are bet ter than horses for New Guinea, and I agree. But one must net expect miracles from mules. The better a mule is treated the better the service he pives.”

Mr. Toogood estimated that there were 3.000 good cattle in the New Guinea area when the invasion came, but he thinks few herds are left. Many have been killed for food, and the remainder ap pear to have been widely dispersed.

He has great confidence in the future of the New Guinea cattle industry—but it is essential that it be intelligently and firmly controlled by the Administration.