PORK FOR BRITAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 305, 26 December 1931, Page 4

PORK FOR BRITAIN.

WHAT CONSUMERS WANT

MORRINSVILLE GIVES A LEAD

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

MORRINSVILLE, Wednesday

With a view to fostering interest in the export of frozen pork to Britain the Morrinsville A. and P. Society is arranging for the shipment of the carcases ot fat pigs exhibited at its next show in March, so that they will be judged by experts of the pork trade in - Britain. Similar competitions for fat lambs, which are judged at Smithfield, have done much in recent years to impress on sheep farmers the type oE lamb carcase that the British trade wants, and • the show committee hopes to arouse similar interest in the production of the class of pork that is wanted in Britain. The possibilities of the pork export trade have been emphasised by many farmers' leaders of late. Pig products exported from New Zealand are valued at less than £500,000 a year, whereas Denmark exports £29,000,000 worth. Denmark sends bacon to Britain, but it is not allowed to send pork owing to foot-and-mouth disease restrictions, while New Zealand cannot send bacon to compete with cheaply-produced Continental bacon, but has practically a clear field for frozen pork. Lack of regular supply of New Zealand pork has been commented on by British buyers,' who are satisfied with the quality, , . Probably there are more pigs within a 20-mile radius of Morrinsville than in any other similar sized area in New Zealand, so the A. and P. Society hopes to get an extra large exhibit of fat porkers. After being judged in the show pens the porkers will be slaughtered at" Horotiu freezing works, and the carcases again judged by New Zealand experts for quality. The frozen carcases will be sent to London, where they will be judged by British experts. A comparison of the views of the three lots of judges should give farmers valuable information about the way they are catering for the Home pork trade. Apparently the Morrinsville Association will be the first, or one of the first, A. and P. Associations to promote a contest for porkers for export, although contests on similar lines for fat lambs have been taken up with enthusiasm by the Meat Board and the Waikato A. and P. Association. The ' co-operation of the New Zealand Co-operative Pig Marketing Association, of Hamilton, has been secured, and it will supervise the killing and export of the pigs. There will be over a dozen, classes for pe&igre.e pigs at the show, and the leading breeders of pedigree pigs have promised to exhibit. Substantial prizes are being offered in am endeavour to interest Wai- j kato farmers in exploiting this sideline of dairying in the way it is done in j Denmark.