THE INSPECTION OF PIGS

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 2314, 5 December 1925, Page 7

THE INSPECTION OF PIGS

A Borough Council Discussion In view of a recent discussion regarding the Inspection. or rather lack of Inspection of pigs killed on the farm, the question is being asked as to the actual position regarding So important a matter. A somewhat erroneous —if not alarming—impression has been created, and in fairness to all concerned, it is only right that the case should he stated as near as possible to the actual facts ascertainable. Tho question brought up at the last meeting of the Palmerston North Borough Council regarding the inspection of pigs killed on farms and sold direct to butchers Is one wnich is likely to create somewhat or a wrong impression among - consumers to the ~detriment of producers. It is difficult to say whether the numaer of farm-killed pigs is on the increase or not. It certainly varies consider, ably according - to the facilities offering and circumstances prevailing in the difffferent districts. In most instances pigs are killed on the farm for the sake of convenience, and comparatively few pigs are killed on farms that arc handy to abattoirs or bacon works. It is true, that car-case-buying - was at one time .encouraged by bacon curcrs, by paying id. per lb. more for dressed than live pigs. This usage has now been reversed by a number of buyers who prefer to kill their own pigs and dress them in their own way. In the matter of insurance against disease, the live animal also has the advan. tage over the dead pig a s most buyers refuse to take the risk with carcases. A Misconception. The resolution carried at the recent meeting of the Borough Council and the preceding discussion indicated that the position regarding farmkilled pigs was somewhat misundor. stood. Cr. Eliott stated, that "it was rather disturbing to find that pigs killed by farmers hereabouts and noi put through the abattoirs were subjected to no inspection at all. They| were simply killed on the farms and brought into town for sale to butchers.” Such a sweeping statement is bound to do harm to a struggling industry, apart from creating an entirely wrong impression in the minds of consumers. In the first place it must be remembered that only a small proportion of farmkilled pigs so to butchers. The business done by butchers is principally in porkers, while baconers are bought by curers. and the latter constitutes by far the larger portion of pigs killed on the farm. The impression created —intentionally or unintentionally—by the resolution and discussion was, that there exists at present, no inspection of home-killed pigs, and this impression is hardly fair to the producers butchers or the Health Department. Adequate machinery for this inspection Is in existence but whether this machinery is fully and efficiently made use of, the writer is not in a position to say. So much, however, is; certain that the bulk of carcases arc inspected before they go into consumption. What The Trade Says. Discussing the matter with the manager of one of our largest bacon factories, the writer was informed that every carcase was inspected before cut up and inspectors visited the premises every day for this purpose:. These concerns insist on inspection for their own protection, fully recognising the fundamental, that no sound end lasting business can be built up mloss it be founded on honest and 'onsclentious lines and principles. Batchers to whom this matter was eferred were no loss assertive in heir assurances, that no pigs went nto consumption without Inspection. Vs one local butcher emphatically out it, “I would not dare to put a cnife into a carcase before it bore the nspector’s stamp.” Whether the present method of :hop and factory inspection can be mproved is entirely a departmental matter. There should be no difficulty to evolve a system of inspection, ,\ hereby the butchers books must ally with the pigs inspected, thereiy completely safe-guarding the con;umer. At tho same time it should be recognised that even at present, he largest portion of farm-killed igs—if not all —are inspected before he pork or bacon goes into consumption. A Serious Loss to Producers. There is, however, a far more efious aspect to this question, and me which mainly affects the prolucers. Cr. Eliott was quite right rhen he said that “the percentage if condemned pigs at the abattoirs and bacon works) was very high,” Vhat is more, the percentage is much lighor than it should or need he, ,nd results in a serious los s to prouccrs. This loss is principally caused: >y tuberculosis which in turn is directly traceable to insanitary condiions, exposure and the feeding of unastcurisod skim milk and whey. The vriter intends to fully deal with this spect in a future article, but it may ie, remarked here that tubercular nfection in pigs and calves due to kim milk is such a serious menace dmt, In Denmark, feeding of skim milk is prohibited by law unless cos-

tcurised. As all milk for butter making in that country is separated at the factory, the pasteurising of skim milk is a comparatively simple matter, while with tho extensive homeseparation in New Zealand it constitutes a very difficult and .complex problem. At the same time, a solution will have to be found if the pig industry in New Zealand is to progress on similar linos as in other countries. Statistics will be found in another column, showing where Denmark, for instance, exported 113,1 GS tons of bacon within nine months.