IMPORTED cattle, particularly from New Zealand, will not be able to breed well in Fiji because of the difference in pasture and climate.

Simon Cole, owner of Farm Consultant Service, says cattle from NZ are not able to digest pasture in Fiji because of the high percentage of fibre which is 31 per cent more than NZ.

“NZ pasture has 5 per cent fibre, ours is 36 per cent fibre so this is like eating cheese and chalk. We can digest cheese because it has got low fibre although the nutrition is available but we can’t digest chalk even though the nutrition is wrapped up in the chalk. The high fibre ration means the animal can’t digest that feed,” Mr Cole said.

He said the imported genetics were designed to produce high quantity of milk provided they were given the right nutrition.

He said the cold climate too in NZ was in contrast to the hot climate in Fiji thus cattle eat less making them less productive.