Too much pork?

Press, 30 June 1982, Page 7

Too much pork?

PA Wellington The pork industry is worried that there could be an over-production of pig meat and falling prices later this year. Pig farmers had increased their efficiency so markedly that they were producing more meat from fewer animals. said the Pork IndustryCouncil's chief executive officer. Mr David Dobson. But over-production could occur as farmers adapted to the new production techniques. and the industry's stability was also threatened by a number of sheep farmers thinking of diversifying into pig farming. “Production is so deli-

cately tuned to market demand that the impact of increased numbers of pig farmers, or significant increases in production, could have an extremely detrimental impact on the industry." said Mr Dobson. "Any unplanned increase in pig' numbers is likely to lead to a situation that could not be handled by the board’s marketing strategies," he said. The result would be a drop in the price paid to farmers. If a significant production increase occurred, it was unlikely the industry could stimulate enough consumer demand to absorb the surplus.

Too many pig farmers did not have a planned breeding policy, and could unintentionally damage the industry's stability. Recent surveys showed that farmers, particularly in the South Island, were retaining breeding stock. A computer model suggested that increased production would occur in the South Island late this year, and in the first quarter of 1983, he said. If traditional production cycles recurred, the industry was about to enter a period of over-production and low prices, said Mr Dobson.