THE PIG INDUSTRY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 4669, 14 March 1935, Page 3

THE PIG INDUSTRY.

New Zealand has been accorded the very Ape quota of 250,000 cwt. of pork for bacon purposes for the calendar year, 1935. It is important

that the producers of New Zealand pigs should bear in mind that the pork exported for bacon-curing purposes is a type of meat different from frozen pork that is to be eaten as pork. Moreover, the demand for pork as meat in this country is only a seasonal one, confined to a few months of the twelve in the year, and the aggregate of that demand is very small compared with the great demand every day in the year for bacon. New Zealand could in time produce baconer pigs of quality sufficiently good to compete successfully against the big .output from Denmark. Danes, of course, have, after years of study and experiment, produced the ideal baconer pig that is assured of a market here all the year round. Statistics show that landings of Danish bacon in England during 1934 were 214,392 tons. This bacon always commands highest prices. Dutch bacon, too, is of excellent quality.

Sir James Parr pointed out in the course of conversation that the increase in English pigs has been enormous during the past two years, and has been mainly responsible for filling up the gap due to reduced bacon imports from Denmark. Even so, Denmark gets the huge sum of about £20,000,000 anuually from the English consumers of bacon. Indeed, she gets more money here for bacon than for butter. In 1934, landings of butter totalled 124,290 tons.

Warning Against Delivery-Shortage.

Sir James Parr expresses concern because the quota allowed last year for New Zealand baconers was not reached. This year, as a consequence, the English Government Department authorities proposed to reduction In the quota. It was only after considerable discussion that he and the representatives of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board were able to arrange the amount of 12,500 tons of baconers this year. They hope that this position will be appreciated by the pig industry, for, if the quota is again short-delivered, it is possible that the English Government may insist on reducing the New Zealand allocation. Producers, therefore, would be well advised to consider this position and to bear in mind that a temporary porker market, which may or may not be favourable, bears no relation to the establishment of a steady market for baconer pigs. The present time is opportune for New Zealand to secure a substantial share of the British bacon trade, but these chances may disappear unless they are fully used and developed. New Zealand at present treats the bacon industry as a side-line, but she is a dairying country with the requisite fodder for the baconer pig as well as facilities for research regarding breeding and other details, all of which are very important.

The High Commissioner’s Guests.

About two years ago Mr. J. B. Wright started at Newcastle-on-Tyne the British Empire Bacon Curing Factory, -for the purpose mainly of curing the frozen baconer pigs from New Zealand. This week, Sir James Panentertained some English friends to a meal at his flat, in order that they should have the opportunity of sampling some of this English-cured bacon. The section —a gammon, boiled—proved notable for the fine texture of the flesh, for the firmness of the fat, and for its excellently sweet flavour. Sir James’s friends, one of whom was a medical man, expressed their appreciation of its quality, and agreed that they had never tasted better meat of this description.

In conclusion, the High Commissioner remarked: “I am satisfied that there is a huge market in this country for good bacon, but one or two points must be borne in mind. There must be the right pig, which must be properly fed and conditioned. We should not neglect bacon possibilities.”

Increase of Porkers.

Mr. David Jones, referring to the allocation, remarked: — “In view of the large increase of porkers weighing 60 to lOOlbs, it may be difficult to get a sufficient quota to carry the whole of New Zealand’s increased production. It is, therefore, necessary for this point to be guarded against, and the New Zealand pig farmer may be asked by the authorities in the Dominion to stop the killing of porkers if they are too numerous in order that they may be fed longer and made into bacon for which the large quota has been obtained. “It is pleasing to be able to state that the quality of the Dominion pigmeat and its excellent ■ grading are recognised and appreciated throughout Great Britain.”