NEW ZEALAND'S PORK INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1082, 22 March 1911, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND'S PORK INDUSTRY.

/',.,, :SOJiy.EXI>ORT TIGTjEEsV " 'At the present, time, when the stock ex- ■ . port is being talked of so much,.a few ■ Mures riia'y be of interest. '■•;■ In the last twelve months, 10,403 car- ! casses of pork have been exported from '•' JCew Zealand -to the "United Kingdom. The'following figures.show, the ,exports during the- various months:—February, l'llll, ■J7IS) carcasses; March, 789; April, • 027; May, 1293; June, 658; July, 2-148; August, 362; September, 255; October, .56;. November, 911; December, 686; and; January, 191.1, 590. ' ■ ' In'ciuifies made at the Customs Department- show that. during the year) ended Dec&mber 31 the'quantity of pork exported to the "United Kingdom was 10,029 cwt. . That was valued at .£20,736. A little pork .was also.sent to Australia. Victoria took 262cwt., valued at .£917; and New, South Wales 685cwt., valued at ,£2239. The total exports in 1910 were valued at £23,892. ■ , .' THE BACON'PIG. ''■■'■■■ ' In the course an articlo in the "Agri- . cultural Gazette of Tasmania" on the bacon pig, E. J.. Terry (bacon expert) : offers some information to farmers who breed pigs for sale. He says that tho factories ask for pigs weighing 1201b. 'The farmers send them along at the re--1 quested weight, but receive a comnninica-i-tion saying ,{hat the p.igs "are not Quality," aricl a reduced price is given. (.Sir. Terry points ouf; that there is a great 'difference in retnrns or profit to the reHailerwhois cutting up an ideal side of ,-bacon of a given weight as against a badehnped side of the same weight. He' proceeds:—"The bacon pig is one •with long body, medium shoulders, deep sides, ham remarkable for length rather ,than thickness,, back not wide, slightly \arched, and carrying, width evenly along, : | full over lojn, no crest over the shoulder, isides "straight, so that: a- straight-edge. Will touch evenly from the forepart»of (Shoulder to rear of ham. From front of to point of nose should be taperfing, with a slight bulge at jowl. This pij, . /with about 1\ inch of fat, evenly distri- '■' 'bnted along the back, tho sides reason>ably thick with marbled meat, is an ideal \bacon pig, and its value sets the ' price /for -all others. ... In other words, if : this class of pig will cut up with the 'most profit to the retailer owing t? the Jarge proportion of prime cuts or joints, it paturally follo'.vs that the bacon fac- : ,'tory; : can obtain top prices for it, and Hherefore giyo the prico to the'.farmer; whereas a side of bacon of equal weight, rlarge arid coarso in shoulder, short and • ejiarq in loin and hani, and thin in belly, (Would-probably, return IDs. to 15s. less . 'to the storekeeper, lienco he cannot pay the.factory the top price for .this class of goods. The factory retaliates by returning Ifss to tho farmer. It is a purely . compiercial transaction, and the remedy is in the farmer's own hands."