PORK EXPORT SUBSIDY

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 84, 7 January 1928, Page 8

PORK EXPORT SUBSIDY

DEFENDED BY PRIME MINISTER GOOD MARKET AT HOME Dominion Special Service. Auckland, January 6. Reference to the proposed subsidy on export pork was made by tlie Prime Minister in addressing settlers at Turiwiri and Ruawai. Mh Coates said that three or four years ago it was seen that there was a future for the pig industry of the Dominion. From inquiries made while in England he had found that New Zealand bacon and pork were tbe best imported into Britain. They were delighted with the Dominion’s products. Our climate would enable us to produce pigs at such a price that we could compete with Denmark. The Danish export of pigs was in excess of that of butter. -It was possible to increase the export of pork from New Zealand to even one-half that of butter. What a help it would be to farmers! A subsidy of £30,000 would not do everything. Although it might be hard to defend the principle, they had, by assisting the apple growers, probably one million cases of apples for export this season. The wheat industry had been assisted, and he had decided to stand behind the pig industry and help, if he could, to pull it out of its difficulty. Mr. Coates said the meeting would be held in Wellington of representatives of the Dairv Control Board,-Meat Producers’ Board, the Pig Breeders Association, and the Government. Nothing had been decided as to how tlie subsidy would be applied. It nuglit be used in reducing freights, or paid at so much per carcass. It would be solely to assist the export trade.