SOME ASPECTS OF THE PORK INDUSTRY

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7084, 5 December 1929, Page 9

SOME ASPECTS OF THE PORK INDUSTRY

Address to Business Men

Aspects of the pork industry were touched upon by Mr. C, Hausmann in an address to the Palmerston North Lunch Club on Tuesday.

No farm animal, he said, has commanded the attention of the authorities in leading dairy producing countries more than the pigs. Governments themselves have taken an active interest; scientific research institutions have put in tremendous work and all with the view of producing the amount of pork required for the consumer on the most economical lines. Can we wonder at it, when we see what the demand is for pork? On this point we must not overlook the fact that it is the country that has the best facilities, the best climate conditions and the best organisation that will permit it to lower tho cost of production, thus enabling it to hold the market against its competitors. That market is England. There is a certain amount oxported from this Dominion to Australia and the Soutji Seas, a mattor of £84,333' in valpo which is infinitesimal when compared with the requirements of Great Britain. It is a fact that in the early stages approximately 80 years ago Great Britain was an exporter of ham and bacon, no doubt sending the goods to her young colonies as well as to America, but as time .went on her population 'increased, England took up the position pf an importer and most of its 'supplies were obtained from America. Up to the early 80’s America liejd sway, when the Danish, people owing to a tariff being placed on their pork going into Germany looked to Britain for a customer. The Canadian Government, seeing the possibilities of tho English market, appointed a Commission to go to England and the Continent to get the fullest information possible on swine husbandry. This was in 1909. So great have been tho strides made and the grip that the Danes have made on the Homo Market (by 'the class of ]Sig and their-economic methods) that commissions have been sent by,the British Government to make investigations into the Danish methods. . All this has been brought about by tho demand for pork of the British' market. Now the requirements of Great Britain are enormdus. Tho fact is that while the consumption per capita has .been greatly. on the increase, both in freSh pork as well as hams and bacdn the number of pigs in Groat Britain have romained practically stationary. Figures quoted give the number of pigs in 1871-75 as being 2,319,000 while in.. 1928 (the greatest number they ever had) was 2,968,000. Tho consumption of pork in Great Britain and Northern, Ireland is valued at no less than £95,000,000 and of this amount the following are the importations: —1926, £64,318,172; 1927, £54,528,227 and in 1928, £56,405,339. Some idea of the enormity of these figures can be better gauged when we compare them with the exports of our own country, the whole of which for the year ending December 1928 was £56,158,481. The average importation into Great Britain over a period of three years was £58,417,246. The report shows that during the period 1909-13, ,92.6. per cent, was obtained from foreign countries, -7.4 per cent, from the British colonies. In 1926, 82 per cent, from foreign source and 18 per cent, from British Boriiinioiis. In 1027, 85 per cent, came from foreign countries and 15 per cent, from British Dominions.. 1928, 86.1. per cent, was foreign and 13.9 per cent, from British Dominions. Denmark in all cases played the most prominent part, having risen from £22,135,186 in 1926 to £25,796,525 in 1928. United States America were second with £20,818,885 in 1926 but since have receded to £13,263,496 in 1928. Canada which had £7,143,641 to her credit in 1926 has drifted back,to £2,723,599 in 1928. The Netherlands, Sweden, Latvia, Argentina, Russia have been gradually creeping up since 1928. With such an enormous opportunity, can we- be blamed- if we pause and compare our opportunities with those of our greatest rival, Denmark; In the first place our climatic conditions are a big asset in our favour and cannot easily be taken from us. In Denmark pigs are compelled to be housed practically for at least ten months of the year. The carrying capacity is again in our favour, for if we take dairying as an example, Denmark, (and we believe that country is fully oxtended) is carrying 1,514,033 cows to our 1,352,398, but Denmark can show us the way with pigs by carrying 246 pigs per 100 cows to Our mere 43 per 100. Practically 2.5 pigs per cow to our' baro .5 pigs per cow.- These figures show what a market New Zealand has before it. Are we to sit still and allow the bulk, (we might as well say all of the requirements of the market) to benefit foreign countries? The speaker added, are we for the want of production going to compel British capital to go to the foreign countries to assist their organisations to enable them to obtain the supplies they require? If so then we must be surely closing the door of prosperity for ever on this country. The opportunity is offering but it is proved that nothing is to bo gained under the loose "hit or miss" method that we are working on at present. In the past three- years, the Danish people increased their oxports from £22,135,186 to £25,706,525 from 1926 to 1929. This' has not been done by the individual effort but , by Government supervision and organisation. The farmers get the fullest information regarding housing, breeding, and feeding. I feel sure that if the New Zealand Government would take the matter further than they have done and appoint a supervisor, whose duty it would be to give information where required, and see that pigs were kept

under proper conditions) we would soon attain a position to be proud of, apd the money would have been well spent.