DECLINE IN PIG YARDINGS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24814, 2 March 1946, Page 3

DECLINE IN PIG YARDINGS

FURTHER SERIOUS FALL REPORTED A serious decline in the number of pigs yarded at Addington was the subject of comment by the chairman (Mr D. W. Westenra) in his annual review of the Canterbury Saleyards Company’s year. “Yardings of sheep show an increase in numbers of 49,173 j compared with the previous year’s figures; cattle numbers are also some 2172 up on 1944, but pigs show a further falling off of 3192, of whifch 50 per cent, is in the porker and chopper classes,” he said. “Compared with the figures of five*' years ago, the total yarding of pigs is down by 44 per cent. Without labouring details, these- figures again indicate that the production of pork and bacon does not show an adequate return in comparison with other farming activities, and until pig raising shows a seturn commensurate with the risk a shortage of pork and bacon is likely to continue. “In reporting on the activities of the company at the last annual general meeting reference was made to representations having been made to the Price Tribunal for approval of an amended scale of fees under the trucking contract with the stock auctioneers. The increases asked for wer6 approved, and this year trucking shows a small credit balance. The company has been relieved of a burden which it carried for many years. It is not intended that the trucking contract should be regarded as a source of revenue to the company, but as a service to those making use of the yards,- and. provided there is no substantial falling off in the numbers of stock handled it is expected that the contract in future will pay its way and bear its reasonable proportion of overhead charges. Night Fees “In regard to yard fees for the offering of stock, there has for some time past been a demand for the elimination of what are known as night fees from our scale of charges. This is an old charge which was originally made apparently for the use of yard paddocks and has continued through the years for the use of pens when these supplanted the open ground. With the growth of the use of road transport any advantage that a vendor of stock may have obtained through early yarding has largely, if not entirely, disappeared. The demand for the discontinuance of night fees and the fact that there has been no adjustment of yard fees for 22 years, in spite of increasing costs, has been given consideration by the board, and application has been made to the Price Tribunal for approval of a scale of fees which will eliminate the night fees charge and leave some margin which will enable adequate reserves to be built up against the time when buildings will have to be replaced, or, if it so happens, the yards have to be removed to some other site.

“During the year a sale ring was erected for the holding of sales of special classes of stock. This is a pronounced success, and we look forward to its becoming generally used for the sale of stud stock.”