The following is an article from the Nowra News of 12 June 1968 concerning the Kangaroo Valley Primary Producer’s Union. The article is headed “Valley P.P.U. branch winds up after 25 years’ dairy works”.
KANGAROO VALLEY: A Branch of the Primary Producers’ Union which has served to introduce agricultural innovations such as seed certification, aerial spraying of superphosphate, large-scale Iocal inoculation of Strain 19 and myxomatosis drives, last week decided to go into liquidation. The Kangaroo Valley Branch had moved in January 1963 for the amalgamation of three organisations serving dairymen inside the New South Wales Milk Zone, which led to its own closure.
The Branch had been formed in June 1939. When it closed this week, almost 26 years later, it still had its inaugural President and Secretary in office.
Mr. A. R. Chittick. who chaired the organisation through more than a quarter of a century, has been made an Honorary Life Member of the Primary Producers’ Union. He was an Executive Member for more than 20 years and was vice-president for more than five years.
The Honorary Secretary, Mr. John Graham, will hand over books and records of the Kangaroo Valley Branch of the P.P.U. to the Valley’s Historical Society.
During its operation, the branch:
- Organised instruction – inspection tours to farms and research centres in the immediate post-war years, one of the first State organisations to do so.
- Formed the Kangaroo Valley Certified Perennial Rye Grass Seed Growers Association in 1949, the first body in New South Wales to adopt standards for certification of seed.
- Organised the meeting which inaugurated aerial spraying of superphosphate fertiliser on a regular basis in Kangaroo Valley in 1961.
- Organised for the first local groups of calves to be brought together for the inoculation with Strain 19.
Formation of the Rye Grass Seed Growers Association followed a meeting the Union called, at which the then Chief Agronomist with the Department of Agriculture, Mr S. Veres, and District Agronomist Mr. G. Giles, undertook to draft a certification scheme for the new organisation.
The meeting to form it came about only three months after it was first mooted by the P.P.U. Branch.
Since its initial formation with only seven growers, the Association has grown to more than 30 suppliers, in both Kangaroo Valley and the Shoalhaven. Initial seed supplies of 200 bushels have grown to more that 8,000 bushels per season.
Since superphosphate aerial spraying began in 1961, acreage fertilised has risen to more than 4,000 per year.
The inaugural meeting to set the scheme going included representatives of the P.P.U. seed distributors, Australian Fertilisers, distribution agents and interested people from all walks of life. The P.P.U. first proposed formation of an aerial Superphosphate Association in November 1961; by early 1962, it was in operation.
Community calf inoculation with Strain 19, practised since the early 1950s, have cut herd losses, and saved considerable expense to farmers taking part.
Throughout most of the 25-plus years that the Kangaroo Valley Branch has operated it has had the support of almost all local dairymen. Several years, Mr Chittick says the Valley gave 100% membership from the men in the dairy industry.
Representatives sitting on the P.P.U.’s District Council have included, in addition to the President and Secretary, Mr. H. O. Cox, Jim Allen, A Cochrane and Tom Rendall.
Any funds the branch has had have passed through to its District Council, which had handles most of the branch finance.
The branch ceased operations from Wednesday night.
Its demise follows the combination of three suppliers’ organisations, of which the P.P.U. was one, into one body representing all suppliers to the New South Wales Metropolitan Milk Zone. Other bodies involved in the amalgamation were the United Milk Producer’s Union and the Milk Zone Dairyman’s Council; now the new body is known as the Milk Zone Dairyman’s Union.
Here is further information about the Kangaroo Valley Primary Producers Union activities.
Strain 19 refers to Brucellosis abortus which causes cows to abort and can be contracted by humans. Australia has been free from Brucellosis since 1989, but it still may be contracted by consuming overseas unpasteurised dairy products.
There were several aerodromes set up in Kangaroo Valley for the aerial crop dusting.
The Primary Producers Union has been absorbed into the National Farmers Federation by way of the Australian Farmers Federation.
Myxomatosis significantly affected the rabbit population, but the rabbits are still in Kangaroo Valley.
Kangaroo Valley Certified Rye grass was recognised as a leader in Rye Grass seed, but nowadays there are alternative sources.
The work done by the Kangaroo Valley Primary Producers Union has to be recognised as truly important work that has benefitted all farmers in Kangaroo Valley.
Peter Dumbrell
