PIG EXPORT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 135, 21 March 1939, Page 2

PIG EXPORT.

INCREASED TRADE TO BRITAIN. ADVOCACY BY IMPORTER. ' (Per Press Association), WELLINGTON, March 20. The opinion that as the United Kingdom market for New Zealand mutton and lamb had to a large extent reached saturation point the farmers of the Dominion could well turn their attention to the pig industry was expressed in an interview) to-day by Mr F. C. Masop, manager of the meat department of A. J. Mills and Company, Ltd., London, a Tooley street firm of produce importers which, has been connected with the New Zealand trade for many years. Mr Mason, who is visiting Wellington in a tour of New Zealand, said that the purpose of his visit was to obtain an understanding and appreciation of the difficulties of those on the other side of the world. He had visited both the South Island and the North Island, and met all the people prominently connected 1 with the meat trade. “Quite aprirt from mutton and lamb' I am particularly interested in the possibilities of the pig industry in this country,” said Mr Mason. “At the moment Australia and New ‘Zealand together export to the United Kingdom only about 2 per cent of the bacon imported into Britain, and it seems to me that there is ,a 7 golden,opportunity to develop this market tremendously, and I have no doubt that the British Government will let in from Australia and New Zealand much larger quantities if they are available.” Mr Mason urged farmers to look on the pig industry as an important, and lucrative part of their farming operations, and not merely as a sided ssue. The Dominion, lie said, had. built up a wonderful lamb market by shipping the right type of carcase, and if the pig industry .were to flourish that was an important point to bear in mind. The market in England required .a. fairly lean pig, although there was, of course, an outlet for the fatter type. . . Mr Mason said he would like to suggest what breed should be bred, as it was a controversial subject, hut so far as he could see there was nothing to hinder the development of the industry along sound lines in New Zealand. Mr Mason is to leave Auckland on April 3 by the Mariposa for America and Canada, where his firm has business interests. f