MODERN PIG KEEPING

Northern Advocate, 8 February 1936, Page 14

MODERN PIG KEEPING

Organised Industry Imperative,

Under the title of “A Pig Policy for New Zealand,” Mr W. J. Croucher makes a vigorous plea in the '‘Exporter” for national organisation of the pig industry. Mr Croucher is well qualified to express the opinion he has. He made a big success of pig production, being able to retire on the money he made thereby, and in his retirement he has rendered the industry conspicuous service. He has been the head and front of the many educative schemes set on foot in the Manawatu, especially with porker and baconer carcase competitions, and of late has acted as recording officer. Mr Croucher severely criticises the Department of Agriculture for its neglect of the pig industry, and rightly points out that any progress made has been made by the industry itself. After saying that the most essential need of the pig industry is enlightened instruction in sensible feeding and general management, Mr Croucher unreservedly supports the recommendations of the Dairy Industry Commission, which he considers should be put into effective operation. The commission, it may be pointed but, was impressed with the necessity of an efficient controlling body being set up to ensure the consolidation of the present position, and to exploit any market possibilities of the future. The organisation envisaged by the commission must sponsor an extensive instructional service to dairy farmers, a service to direct all phases of pig management, and that the instructional policy should be based on an authoritative. survey of market requirements in respect of type, quality and weight of pig carcases. The commission suggested that the proposed organisation should extend the system of pig-recording and make provision for an official and uniform grading system, applicable to all pigs slaughtered, the standards being based on both local and export requirements. The controlling body should, in .addition, exercise a supervisory function over the marketing of pig meat. Finance required for the administration of the industry should be provided from a levy bn all pigs .slaughtered, whether for local or export trade.

The opinions expressed by Mr Croucher, and the policy recommended by the Dairy Commission, are very generally supported by commercial pig-keepers. Pig recording in South Auckland has definitely proved the correctness of Mr view, that the greatest need of the industry is improved management. Education is not required so much for the small progressive minority as for the large majority, to whom pig-keeping, with heavy losses from disease and high condemnations, is generally an unprofitable business. The greatest value of pig recording at the present time is for pedigree sows, and every pedigree sow in the country should be recorded and properly identified as soon after birth as possible. Combined

with this there should be a nationwide instructional service. The necessary instructional officers could also act as recording officers of pedigree stock. While demonstration feed trials could be carried out on farms where pig-keeping is taken seriously, the principal feed trials, etc., should be conducted on Government or college farms, where the necessary degree of exactitude in the work may be expected. But the industry’s greatest need is a national organisation to make the business really profitable to all those engaged in it, to eliminate overlapping and waste, to secure to the producer his rightful share in the market value of his product, and by raising the standard of the exported product to a high level to stabilise the industry and thereby make it the great national asset it can easily become under the great natural advantages of the Dominion.