Pig Production Could Centre In Four Areas

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30804, 16 July 1965, Page 17

Pig Production Could Centre In Four Areas

Because of the high cost of obtaining protein foods in many parts of New Zealand the senior technical officer of the New Zealand Pig Producers’ Council (Mr E. J. Kirkeby) expects that pigs will 'be fattened in only three or possibly four “pockets” in the country.

Speaking at the CanterburyWest Coast bacon competition at Belfast yesterday. Mr Kirkeby said that in time it was probable that only the grain-producing centres of New Zealand would be used for the fattentog of pigs These centres were the Bay of Plenty, Manawatu, Canterbury, and possibly Waikato. In the past, the pig industry had been associated with dairying, with the pigs feeding on the dairy by-products, mainly skim milk. However, with the advent of bulk tanker delivery and the necessity for paying for skim milk many farmers would be “going out of pigs.” Because of the difficulty of obtaining suitable . high-pro-tein foods at economical prices, pig numbers in Northland must fall.

Although milk tankers were being used very extensively in the Waikato, probably more so than in any other area, pigs were increasing there, but generally there had been a falling of pig numbers in the North Island. Although all the killing figures were not yet available, a drop of 20,000 pigs had been recorded so far this season compared with last year, Mr Kirkeby said. It was cheaper to take the pigs to the market than to bring food to the pigs in areas where it was not readily available.

With the amount of skim milk reduced because of the tanker delivery, alternative protein foods had to be found.

Meatmeal was the most readily available substitute, but its food value, unless it contained at least 60 per cent of protein, was doubtful. Fish and vegetable protein foods were very scarce and difficult to obtain in sufficient quantities.

Grain could be used economically for the fattening of pigs in areas where it was grown, but at some periods of toe year, Mr Kirkeby said, he understood that Northland farmers were paying between £35 and £4O a ton for barley meal, which had to be delivered from long distances. “In time,” he said, “do not be surprised to see pigs fattened in the South Island that were bred in the North Island.”