THE PORK INDUSTRY.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXV, Issue 295, 20 December 1901, Page 4

THE PORK INDUSTRY.

The London correspondent of the Pastoralists Review furnished to the last issue of his journal some interesting particulars of the London pork trade, and of questions affecting New Zealand pork in particular. After dealing at length with ruling prices, he says : — " Bacon has, of course, gone up in price, and it seeina to me that there might be a chance for New Zealand to send us pork intended solely for the use of the curers. lam told that some of our biggest curing houses are buying it now whenever it is offered, and after curing it are placing their own brands on ib and selling it as English or Irish, and at top prices, but this is a hard matter to tra.ee and prove. During the week I interviewed tvv'o of the biggest houses in tho bacon trade, but without' much tangible result. There was no ' information to be gob from them, but; an article has appeared in the Daily Express, headed "Frozen Pigs for/ England," which professes to have/ authority for stating that New Zealand/ pigs are being treated by the Home] curers in the way I have stated, and) that the buyers—that is the con-!/ sinners—are not told that the bacon( they are buying is not of Home growth j» this is a mild way of putting thds matter. X New Zealand can send pork to this country there is no reasojh in the world why it should not be sold openly a3 produce of tho colony; the day of prejudice against colonial prpduee, especially New Zealand, has long gone by, and New ZealaWd bacon would soon become as well udd as favorably known ,on. Vuo London market as^QasAerbUfy mutton or lamb is if. it were only pushed in tho same way as the latter had been pushed. At the same time, ib must be said that in normal years the Europeans supply of pork is well up to the demand, and that, therefore, should New Zealand enter heavily into competition prices will have to go down below what is now regarded as normal. The Christchurch Meat Cotncany is pushing in bhis matter in connection with its consignments of mild cured pork. It has established a curing house at Nelson's Wharf, Lambeth, to complete the curing there."