HIGH QUALITY IMPERATIVE

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21939, 13 November 1936, Page 12

HIGH QUALITY IMPERATIVE

DEMANDS OF THE HOME MARKETS LORD GALWAY’S ADVICE TO FARMERS “Quality is of first and most vital importance,” said the Governor-Gen-eral, Lord Galway, when declaring open the Royal Show at the official luncheon at Addington yesterday. This need for high quality was the principal theme taken by Lord Galway in a brief opening address. At the same time, he had words of high praise for the excellence of the show itself. Lady Galway and Captain HeberPercy, A.D.C., accompanied his Excellency.’ The Vice-Regal party was met on the grounds by the secretary of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association (Mr M. E. Lyons) and introduced to the president, Mr Thomas Stevenson, and Mr L. J. Wild, president of the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand. Their Excellencies then joined the full official party. The Minister for Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, and the Minister for Industries and Commerce, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, were amon= the guests at the luncheon, at Y-htch Mr Stevenson presided. When extending a welcome to their Excellencies end the two Ministers, Mr Stevenson Mentioned that the show was a record one. Mr Wild also offered a welcome to the visitors. Hopes for Future Lord Galway, who was warmly applauded when he rose to reply, said he was delighted that the show had made a new record. He hoped that every year would see further development and a new record, with increasin£ entries from all branches of an industry which, his Excellency said, was the life-blood of New Zealand s prosperity. He was glad to meet at the show those who for many years had worked to develop and encourage interest in the Royal Shows in New Zealand. Those people must be proud that their efforts had been so successful. , “Here you are producing goods in your primary industries of magnificent quality, to send home to the British markets.” Lord Galway said, “but you must remember that that is not all you have to do. It is necessary for you to study very closely the requirements of those markets, to see what consumers are asking for, so that you can send to them produce of the quality they desire. It is no good adopting the 'take it or leave it attitude. If consumers on the Home markets find something more suitable to their tastes, they will simply say, ‘We will eat it.’ In that case, it is no good -for you to nurse a grievance; you must find out what it is those consumers require, and see that you are sending them produce conforming to their requirements.” More Bacon Curing Lord Galway made what he described as a tentative suggestion for jthe improvement of New Zealand’s primary produce trade. He said that £e believed there was a great scope £• the development of the bacon and m curing industry here, and that with development and the application of scientific methods in the industry, .-the amount of ham and bacon sold in 'Great Britain could be considerably increased. Housewives in Great Britain now buying such produce from would then buy New Zealand bacon and ham. The show demonstrated that quality was of the very first and most vital importance, Lord Galway said. It was necessary to aim at high quality, not only for show purposes, but for the practical side of farming. Good quality stock was necessary, and good pastures for the stock. Research was showing what could be done in improving pastures and stock feeds, and he wished all prosperity to the institutions engaged in that research. His Excellency mentioned the work of research in combating diseases in plants and urged that everything possible should be done to assist ip that fight, and in the fight against the noxious weeds menace. “Agriculture is a most progressive Industry, and the pastoral side no less so,” Lord Galway declared. “Pastures and all activities associated with them require constant supervision and care and the use of all the new knowledge that scienca can give.” Shows at Sydenham The Minister for Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee - Martin, recalled when, as a boy, he attended agricultural shows in the c-d grounds at Sydenham, and said that he had been thrilled at being able to reappear at the Royal Show, so many years after, as the Minister for Agriculture. Mr Lee Martin congratulated the Royal Society and the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association on “bringing together such the greatest collection of livestock ever brought on to one ground in the Dominion.” He regarded the show as a striking indication of the sound future in store for New Zealand and for farmers. Canterbury had a particularly good chance to chare in that prosperity. The province had great potentialities. Irrigation was needed and the Government was in a position to be able to satisfy that need. Generally, the Minister said, the farming community was coming back into its own this year. BREEDERS CONGRATULATE ASSOCIATION NEW PIG PAVILION PRAISED Congratulations to the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association were made at a meeting of pig-breeders held at the Show Grounds yesterday morning on the erection of the new pavilion for exhibiting pigs. Dr. G. E. Gillett, president of the South Island branch of the New Zealand Pig Breeders’ Association, was in the chair, and Mr J. A, Russell, Dominion president, spoke for the breeders present. The pavilion was, he said, the best on "any ground in the Dominion, and whoever designed it was deserving of the greatest praise. There was plenty of light and air and freedom from draught. The partitions were an especially good device and everything was there for the convenience of exhibitors. The association merited the i L tnc „ ere fi thanks of breeders in New i Zealand. I - Fincham, chairman of the : I association s pig committee, replied for I association, and Mr W. H. Nichol- I I J® *l®® apologising for the un- : ■ Usenet of the president, Mr i U , 1