POKE INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 81, 6 April 1933, Page 14

POKE INDUSTRY

ANCILLARY TO DAIRYING

Mr. David, Jones, chairman of the Meat Producers' Board, addressed Canterbury Farmers at EUesmere this week-on the importance of the pork industry. He was convinced, he Baid, that a country which Broduced as much dairy produce as the lominion of New Zealand should produce a great deal more pork than at present. "The question of pig production in New Zealand is .not, a,new on«," added Mr. Jones. "Shortly after the Meat Board started operations I was convinced that there was a great future for our pork and bacon export industry. We are a; great dairying country, and the production of pork and, perhaps to a smaller _ extent, that of bacon, should go ' hand in hand with dairying." . He showed how Denmark had an advantage over New Zealand in its bacon industry in that it was close to the market. Bacon had not yet been sent to England from New Zealand successfully, but there was nothing that froze 'so satisfactorily as pork, and it could be exported frozen with complete success.' Recently a;■ test had been carried out by the Meat Board in .'which frozen pork from New Zealand had been put in competition with fresh English pork. The judges had awarded the, first prize to a piece of New Zealand pork in preference to the fresh English meat.

In 1924 he had forecast gr-;at developments in the New Zealand pork industry, continued Mr. Jones, ,and he had helped to arrange a very low rate of freight with shipping companies for the carriage of pork from the Dominion to England, on the suggestion that the industry .could be expected to expand rapidly. The costs of pork export, therefore, were satisfactorily low. •■■■■' "The marketing of New Zealand pork today is very easy if you keep down to the proper weight/ said Mr. Jones, "and the- proper weight for the English market is 801b. A New Zealand pig of this size, sells as readily as any pork in ..the world. If a man has forty cows he ought to keep four,' sows and, breeding two litters a year, he shbtild have no difficulty in sending them all off:his place at 801b."The New Zealnnd'export- trade in pork shows a marked increase : this year. For the period : October 1 to March 15 this season exports were 112,231 carcasses, compared with' 59,149 carcasses for the corresponding period of-last year.' The killings have increased to 171,832, or an increase for, this year of 87,900 carcasses more than for 1931-32 period. These figures are compiled by the Meat Board and include heavy-weight pigs suitable for bacon purposes. "Practically all exported went to the Unitecl Kingdom.