HFS announces merger plans
HFS announces merger plans
By Shelley Wright
THE Holstein Friesian Society has successfully headed off a potentially explosive situation among black-and-white cattle breeders by releasing plans for the creation of a single B&W breed society.
The plans for unification with the British Holstein Society were released just days before the HFS extraordinary general meeting, to be held on Tue, Oct 7, where a resolution had been tabled by pressure group Holstein 2000 to disband the HFS and create a new, single, breed society immediately.
But that resolution has now been withdrawn. Holstein 2000 chairman David Jones said: "We have acted as a catalyst and will support the task force over the next year. But,… we will be looking for rapid progress towards a united society with agreement of the combined membership."
The HFS proposal has also been broadly welcomed by the British Holstein Society, according to Peter Dixon Smith, HFS chairman.
Outlining the proposal on Monday, HFS chief executive Tim Brigstocke accepted that Holstein 2000 had acted as "a valuable catalyst in pushing the debate forward". But what was now important was to make progress in a democratic way, taking account of the views of both breed societies members.
What the society now proposed, dependent on getting the go-ahead from members at the egm on Tuesday, was the immediate creation of a small, independent task force. The group would be charged with producing a firm plan of action for unification early in 1998.
A single black-and-white breed society could be just months away following the new plan released by the HFS.