THE PORK INDUSTRY.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8593, 21 September 1893, Page 3

THE PORK INDUSTRY.

OPINIONS OF FARMERS.

The proposal of the Intermarine Supply Company to start in New Zealand the preparation of " mess " pork ou a large scale is an important one to the farming community. With a view, therefore, of ascertaiuing the opinions of pig breeders on the stibject, a reporter from our office interviewed a number of them at the Addington Yards yesterday, and their views will be foand below.

A large raiser of pigs i n the Lseston district said he considered 3d per lb would pay very well, and that the prospect of the minimum price not being below that figure would iuduce farmers to go in for breeding pigs. This was more especially the case now that the dairy industry had been started. For such pigs as Mr Vecht required 3d per lo would be a. good paying price. Of course they would not sell at 3d when they could get 4£d as they had been doing tnis year, but then on the other hand it would not cost so much to feed them for the Company's purposes. The Ellesmere district looked on the proposal with favour, and would give Mr Vecht every assistance it could. To bring pigs into condition lit for bacon they must be fed for three weeks or a month on peas. Mr Vecht did not require th*t so much hard feed should be used. For the last year or two farmers had been going iv largely for growing lambs, but that waa not likely to last, as they would not get 4d per lb for them this year. More attention was likely in any case, therefore, to be turned to pigs, especially, as he had remarked, because of th.€ dairy industry. Another breeder of pigs in the Tai Tape district said the proposal of Mr Vecht waa a good thing for the country. If, however, local buyers would give more than 3d per it the Company would have to do the same. Without something of this kind he considered the price of pigs would come down from the higU level it was now at. Threepence would be a gcod paying price as the Company required less hard leed than was usually given to stye - fed pigs. In his district most of the pigs were dairy-fed. At present breeding sows were difficult to get, but farmers would now go in more for breeding. There was no doubt the industry would grow into a very large cue, but the Company would not get pigs unless the price they offered was on a level with the local market.

A breeder of pigs from Leeston. said there was no doubt that the proposals of the Company would take well in his district. Seeing that the Bacon Company had gone w> the wall the farmers would want some other outlet; for their pigs- So fat as his district was concerned, it wat in favour of the movement. The only objection was that 3d per lb was thought to be rather low, but on looking thoroughly into the matter and seeing that pigs could be taken at that figure all the year round he considered it would pay. It would not be so expensive to breed pigs for the Company's purposes as for bacon, and he thought 3d i per lb from the Company would pay nearly as well as the 4d they were now getting. To finish pigs off for bacon they must have six to eight weeks on hard food. The dairy •industry an important one, and the pork industry must run with it. A grower of pigs from the northern district said they could not let the Company have pigs at 3d per lb. The extra cost of feeding pigs for bacon purposes was not very considerable. A couple of bushels of seconds grain, valued at Is 9d to 2s per bushel, was sufficient to finish off a pig. If they could get 3£d to 3|d, it would pay very welL A few yean ago they used to fatten all their pigs for one particular season of the year, but this was not now the case, and they could be fattened off at any time the same as sheep. It cost very little to grow pigs on a clover paddock if there were dairy slops to give them, and the, dairy and pork industries were combined. Even if pig-breeding were extensively gone into ib would take twelve or eighteen I months to bring down the present price of pigs to the level of that offered oy the Company.