HC Deb 20 May 1943 vol 389 cc1260-1W
Mr. Kirby

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in the interests of increased home food production he proposes to urge upon sheep farmers in Great Britain the use of artificial insemination which is reported to have been tried with great success in Australia, thus increasing the annual lamb yield?

Mr. Hudson

In the absence of evidence that artificial insemination of livestock on a large scale is appropriate or practicable under ordinary farming conditions in this country, it would be premature to en- courage the general adoption of the practice. In the case of cattle, two large-scale field experiments have recently been instituted at Cambridge and Reading but I am not of the opinion that the time is yet ripe for their extension to sheep.