BACONER PIGS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 115, 8 February 1935, Page 8

BACONER PIGS

Decline of Exports FARMERS NEED AID Unless the position is handled quickly, and farmers are given directional guidance and assistance in carrying as many of their , pigs as possible to baconer weights, the export of baconers will come almost to a standstill, according to statements made by Ur. N. Campbell at the Farmers’ Union Dominion Executive meeting. The present quotas on New Zealand meats, he said, were beef and veal 160,000 cwt., mutton and lamb 800,000 ewt., pork 75,000 cwt., and although not officially stated, 12,500 tons for baconers, which represented an equivalent of somewhere in the vlnicity of 200,000 earcases. These arrangements were based on the first quarters of 1932, 1933 and 1934. The quota on pork was _tor three months, ending March 31,1935, and was more than satisfied by shipments alloat and killings up to December 31. The Meat Board notified all shippers on December 21 that in order to comply with the quota programme laid down no porker pigs killed on or after January 1, 1935, should be shipped to arrive in the United Kingdom until after March 31, 1935. Negotiations were in train for quota programmes to extend over a longer period, and the performance of the Dominions during the current season would unquestionably be taken into consideration as a guide for such agreements. Unfortunately the pig industry at the present time through drought and insufficient supplementary g>een feed, such as turnips, maize, lucerne and the like, was being faced with putting the bulk of its production off as porkers to the exclusion of baconer carcases, despite the fact that ample scope had been given by the British Ministry of Agriculture to develop the bacon pig industry. Mr. Campbell quoted the following figures, showing the killing of pigs during the 1934-35 season.

The totals for the corresponding period of the 1933-34 season were 113,486 porkers and 53,038 baconers. The above figures showed a heavy increase in the killing of porkers up to January 15. Even with’these heavy killings there was no shortage of pigs in New Zealand. In fact, if a pig census were taken at the moment it would reveal a large increase as compared with' the same period in other years. The New Zealand producers, however, had -not -grown supplementary feeds to meet the increased number of pigs held on their farms, owing to the drought. Coupled with this, at the moment milk production was steadily declining in the Waikato. Manawatu. Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa and Bay of Plenty districts, and farmers were compelled substantially to reduce the number of pigs they were holding on their farms as porkers. Local enters of bacon were bidding keenly for the limited supply of bacon pigs at prices from s}d. to ssd. a pound. The export of baconers must soon come to a standstill, an‘d while the new Dairy Board had many problems to face, the first and most urgent it had to tackle was a' solution to the problem and the fulfilment' of the quota allowance on baconer carcases by the British Government.

Period Ending: Porkers. Baconers Octo'ber 15 .. ... 15,48 7 4,656 October .30 ... ... 25,737 7,206 November 15 ... 30,734 12,342 November 30 ... 25,155 8,944 December 15 ... 26,000 8,92J December 30 ... 22,012 9,131 January 15 . . 27,708 10,55’2 1 — ... — Totals .. ... 172,928 ■ 61,753