PIG INDUSTRY

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 111, 6 November 1935, Page 24

PIG INDUSTRY

THE PAST FOUR YEARS

GOOD PROGRESS MADE

WHAT STATISTICS SHOW

From the official statistics it is quite evident that considerable progress has been made in the pig .industry of the Dominion during the past four years, and it is gratifying to those concerned to know that pig-raising is being organised on sound and economic lines.! The pig census of the Dominion for the past four years shows 476,194 in 1931 and 758,064 in 1935, an increase of 281,870 pigs. The export of pork, bacon, and hams has increased in proportion, and to such an extent that values have passed the one million figure. The following is a comparison of export weights and values during the past four years:— March Pork. Value. 31. cwt. £ 1932 104,099 234,707 1933 185,748 365,963 1934 377,863 869,478 1935 446,234 1,196,228 March Bacon. Value. Hams. Value. 31. lb. £ lb. ' £ 1932 ... 63,025 2904 24,673 1231 1933 ... 67,652 2809 33,690 1652 1934 ... 60,023 2680 35,455 1815 1935 ... 63,676 3211 53,126 2323 The increase in weight from 1932 is 342,135cwt, and the increased value represents the solid figure of £962,920. This year's increase totals £327,789. The provincial figures for 1931-35 show a steady advance in pig-raising in the Auckland and North Auckland districts. From a Dominion total of 281,870 these districts contributed 170,484 pigs. The remaining chief pro r vinces, Taranaki, Wellington, Canterbury, and Hawke's Bay, contributed a small increase over their previous production. It is disappointing and a matter for regret to see such good dairying districts as Taranaki and Wellington showing such small increases as 33,416 and 34,829 respectively, whereas North Auckland contributed 76,184 and Auckland 137,938. Some of the factors which have been responsible for the excellent progress made in the industry are as follows:— (1) Instruction and advice in all matters relating to swine husbandry by the Department of Agriculture. (2) An active part by the-Meat Producers' Board in searching out • markets, the reduction of freights, and other useful information obtained from British experts. (3) The Pedigree Pig-breeders' Association and its influence on breeding. (4) Co-operative marketing and its influence on export and local markets, local transport and freights, cooperative buying of pig foods, and the endeavour of individual companies to operate on the best markets. (5) Research and experimental work in feeding, breeding, and recording as carried out at Lincoln College, Canterbury, Massey College, Palmerston North, and other work by the Department of Scien- . tific and Industrial Research. FLUCTUATING PRICES. The prices paid for the finished article m both pork and bacon have, for the past four years, fluctuated somewhat. In the past feeders .of early spring fats were forced to accept very low prices, a most unusual thing when compared with the prices received during former years, and this fact has caused considerable worry to farmers who have been put to the extra expense of raising pigs through the winter and who expected the higher prices formerly realised. This condition in spring marketing is no doubt due to the combined efforts of buying interests. It is quite evident that big prices paid for fats are a thing of the past, and that on the average only fair prices will rule, both on the export and local markets. It then becomes a question of how the farmer can still maintain his margin of profits when prices are low. The answer to this is found in economic production, and as New Zealand will always-be under a more severe handicap in regard to freight costs than other countries exporting, it will be necessary to produce more cheaply in order to compete on the world's markets. The following factors enter into economic pig breeding:—The breeding of one's own sow pigs instead of buying weaners; special feeding of the brood sow during the gestation period; building up of the embryo pigs to the farrowing stage, and the saving of them during the suckling period; balancing the rations so as to obtain the quickest growth; and the growing of green forage crops, and the adoption of meatmeal feeding; the elimination of all germs and parasites by a proper system of sanitation in the piggery; good housing. Each of these factors has a distinct influence, either by itself or in conjunction with others, on economic production. The feeding of the. brood sow during the gestation period by supplementing the ordinary diet with cod liver oil or meat-meal, these foods being particularly rich in protein vitamins and having a fair percentage of iodine, has a very decided influence on the embryo pigs, resulting in heavier weight at birth and greater vigour and constitution with greater resisting power against troubles from birth up to the time of killing. A large number of young pigs are lost annually, and this must affect the margin of profits. If these pigs can be saved, as they most assuredly can by good management and the observance of,the factors which influence them, it would mean an additional income to the industry by carrying them forward to bacon weights. This would mean that individual farmers who breed their pigs would have larger profits in the aggregate to work on, and could accept a lower price with safety should the export or local markets become depressed at any time. PIG RECORDING CLUBS. One of the most energetic organisations at present endeavouring to expand pig production on pound and profitable lines is the Manawalu-Oroua Pig Recording and Development Club. The club aims to assist the industry by (a) measuring and recording the actual productive capacity of pigs on farms; (b) actual measurement of the "pig output" of farms; (c) observing and recording methods of pig management on individual farms; (d) arranging demonstrations on well-managed farms j and at slaughter-houses; (c) carrying out feeding trials on farms; (f) obtaining reports from Britain on the quality of the carcasses of pigs of known breed-, ing and feeding; and (g) the certifica-' tion of breeding swine of assured productive and quality capacity. The club's recording officer weighs the litters of individual sows when the pigs are approximately three and eight weeks old, in keeping with practice adopted in Britain and Sweden. The first weighing indicates the milking capacity of the sow, the second determines the growth capacity of the young. Careful records are made of the details of feeding, management, and breeding of the animals, in addi- j

tion tp particulars of housing and the extent and cause of mortality. Farm output of pig products is determined by the collection of definite information from as many farmers as possible of their sales and purchases of pigs and of their pig-farming operations during each year, and after this information has been analysed, the results are made known to farmers by addresses and publication and throueh the Press.

Demonstrations are given on wellmanaged farms both on pig type and methods of management. Demonstrations are also frequently arranged at export slaughter-houses and abattoirs. The introduction of a C.O.P. scheme, modelled somewhat on the lines of a similar Canadian scheme and with the same objects as the well-known Danish pig-testing scheme, is. a recent development of the club. Another development is the ejtport to the United Kingdom of the carcasses of porker and baconer pigs of known history from farrowing to slaughter. This .venture aims at securing from experienced judges in Great Britain detailed accounts of the quality of the carcasses, so that farmers may be advised as to the type of pigs, methods of feeding, and methods of management which produce the best quality products.

The club also gives free advice, in the Manawatu and other districts, to farmers who seek advice with regard to improving their returns from pig raising.

The club is an entirely voluntary organisation. It was formed in September, 1932, and is controlled by an executive, elected at the annual meeting of members, who include farmers and representatives of the Bacon Curers' Association, Department of Agriculture, and Massey College, and the club received last year a grant from the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board of £450 for recording and advisory work, and an additional £25 for a special pig-feeding trial.