ENCOURAGING THE PIG INDUSTRY

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6668, 23 July 1928, Page 10

ENCOURAGING THE PIG INDUSTRY

DEPARTMENT’S WILLINGNESS TO HELP. • THE FEEDING PROBLEM. Pig-raising is gradually becoming more and more important as an adjunct to dairy farming as its possibilities arc being realised, and in this connection the Department of- Agriculture, in the futherancc of its primary functions, is anxious to give as much help to the producers as is possible. Mr M.. E. Findlay, Inspector of Stock for the Wellington District, in the course of an interview with a “Chronicle” representative; indicated somo of tho directions in which assistance could be given. Mr Findlay is the officer who will have a good deal to do with the abattoirs to be erected in Levin, and when asked for his opinion on tho subject, he said the town was fortunate in having members on its Council who were prepared to give their time to go so thoroughly into tho equipment of the proposed abattoir. Ho noticed in the discussion at a recent meeting of the Council, when the plans, for the abattoirs were approved, that a big increase in the.number of pigs now being killed was looked for, and he had noticed tho same hopeful tone at a meeting of tho Dairy Company, which ho had attended some little time ago. Tho Minister of Agriculture was very keen on increas-ing-production, and'Mr Findlay felt confident that if representations were made to him or his responsible officers by. any .representative farmers, body or group of responsible farmers, very material assistance would be given by the Department, to see in w-hat way this increased production ’ could be brought about. Assistance could be given, he said, in determining on the farm in what way the ■ present fairly heavy death rate among young pigs could be reduced. At present considerable research work was being done in this direction at the Laboratory at Wallaccvillc. The present main article of diet is the separated milk or whoy'jfrom the dairy factories, which in itself is far from being a balanced ration, and experiments could bo made to prove that it is possible to find concentrates and thereby not only reduce the mortality from dietic causes, but also bring a pig to a marketable condition in a shorter time. Mr Findlay pointed out that the short-backed pig with the plump, meaty hams, so ‘ popular some years ago lias fallen'from favour, and the carcase in demand to-day is one long, and-narrow, deep in the rib, and yet in good condition. ■ '

“The Department,” concluded the Inspector is just as keen to further the’ pig industry, in the Levin district as the farmers themselves, and any request for advice on the feeding of live stock, in any capacity will be gladly giyen on request, by any officer of the Live Stock Division.’/ >