PORK EXPORTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 81, 5 April 1940, Page 3

PORK EXPORTS.

TO UNITED KINGDOM. RESTRICTION REMOVED. CABLE FROM MR. JORDAN. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The removal of the restriction on the export of porkers to the United Kingdom was announced today liy the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin. '"It will be remembered," he said, "that during the preliminary negotiations it was intimated the United Kingdom Government required baconers only, the weights to be restricted to 120-lSOlb. The New Zealand Government appreciated the serious effect of this arrangement and made every endeavour to have the restriction removed. Following our representations, Britain lowered the minimum requirements to 1011b for baeoner carcases and later agreed to porkers of tiU-IOOIb being included in our exports, with the proviso that 75 per cent by weight of the total pigs shipped should be baconers of 1011801b. '"This arrangement has operated from the beginning of the season, but with the passing of time 1 realised that even this concisMon was not suflicient if the internal economy of the pig industry of the Dominion was to be preserved. In face of this knowledge I arranged for the position again to be represented to the British Ministry of Food, pointing out t-hat the restriction already jeopardised the Dominion's ability to supply pig meats of all descriptions to the United Kingdom next year and that its continuance would be most serious. "The Government to-day received a cable from the. High Commissioner, Mr. \V. J. Jordan, stating that the Ministry had agreed to remove the restriction of percentage of porkers to baconers, but expects us to maintain approximately pre-war percentages. It is extremely gratifying to know that our representations on behalf of the producers received such sympathetic treatment, and it should now be possible for pig raisers in the Dominion to dispose of all this season's pigs to the best advantage. It is hoped that it will not be necessary to restrict the export of pork and bacon next season and exery endeavour will lie made to obtain the. consent of the Ministry of Food in this connection,"