Grant W Help
p. 130 · Read in the full issue
Ng Zebu Scheme
Again this year the Reserve Bank of Australia has made a grant to Papua-New Guinea from its Rurd Credits Development Fund. Of th\ total grant of £2,505, the sum o\ £1,730 is for cattle projects, and £775 is to provide prizes for Papuat and New Guinea group exhibits a\ Territory Agricultural Shows.
THE cattle promotion grant in, eludes £1,230 for the of a low temperature storage cabine! for cattle semen imported from Aus tralia which will enable the Agri cultural Department to establish ai artificial insemination programme. I Following the Department’s succesi in introducing Zebu-type species i| the beef cattle of the Territory, it i now proposed to add a Zebu strail to the dairy herds of Papua and Ne\ Guinea. Due to quarantine dil Acuities the required dairy-typj Zebu stock cannot be brought inti the Territory, but can be introduce* through artificial insemination. Thi storage cabinet will allow the Agri cultural Department to bring i: semen from Zebu dairy stock own& by the CSIRO in Australia for use i: Administration cattle breeding pre grammes.
The cross breeding of existini Territory dairy herds with Zeb milking strains should considerabl! improve milk production under th tropical conditions existing in Papui and New Guinea. The equipmen will be available to store limite: supplies of semen for use in ai parts of the Territory.
The Reserve Bank’s grant als includes £5OO to assist in establisß ing five additional pilot cattl projects for native farmers. Th first pilot projects were started i 1960, and last year the Reserve Barr financed 10 more from its Run Credits Development Fund grant. ; The money made available thi year will go to two cattle projec: in the Markham Valley, and til other three in the Eastern an Western Highlands.
In acknowledging the grants II the Reserve Bank of Australia, tH Acting Assistant Administrator f< Economic Affairs Mr. F. C. Hende son, said this very practical form J assistance was greatly appreciated H the Administration. It showed tl Bank’s keen interest in the develoc ment of primary industries, and the general economic advancement j the Territory.