Pig Production

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 188, 9 August 1941, Page 3

Pig Production

OUTLOOK OF SEASON heu asked about the market prospecls for pigs this season Mr. W. A. Phillips, .chairman of Directors of the New Zealand Co-operative Pig Marketing Association, stated inter‘alia, that up to the present there is still no prospect of an export market fur bacon Pigs. Britain lias, however, agreed to take our porker pigs in a carcase weight range' of 60 to 120 lbs. As yet there is no indication of quantity or price, but it is confidently anticipated that our own Government will continue the commandeer at F. 0.8. for all porkers killed in excess of local requirements. .Should this transpire and t he price fixed approximate that of last year, this would afford a stabilising factor for the local bacon market. Failing this and in spite of any practical application of theoretical forms of planned production, supply and demand must inevitably create wider points of market fluctuation. Wheu the Government lifted the exportable weight of pork to 1201bs producers’ marketing difficulties were in any case greatly relieved. The local market prefers lightweight baconers of from 121 to 140 lbs. so with an exportable- top weight for pork of 1201bs great flexibility is afforded in

catering for one or other of these mar* ko,ts at short notice. Buttermilk fat* toners who, in past years were mainly catered for by exporters, and whose*

production would approximate upwards of 50,000 baconers annually, will now be forced - on to the local market for an outlet for their product. While this must have a bearing on local market conditions, this quantity is less than one quarter of local market requirements. “Although under existing condition:," concluded Mr. Phillips, “one would be presumptive and even foolish io attempt a market forecast as a lead 1u producers in the preferestial production of pork or bacon pigs, on the assumption that the Commandeer price is continued for pork, in a spirit of snuturd helpfulness I am willing to give it as my opinion that at all killing points w hi eh arc adjacent to curing factories catering lor city trade, baconers to December 31 are likely to be in good demand, while in the case of normal killing points from which the transport and other handling charges on carcases a s opposed to the delivery of live pigs to curing factories would be competitively uneconomic, producers would be well advised not to take their pigs above porker weights."