LEVY ON PIGS

Northern Advocate, 3 May 1937, Page 4

LEVY ON PIGS

The Government has approved a proposal to make a levy, of twopence a pig on all pigs slaughtered in New Zealand in order to provide an instructional and advisory service for, the pig industry. This is an announcement of prime 5 importance to the Dominion Fas a whole, but in no part of the eoun- ' try will it be read with greater interest than in Northland, which has made phenomenal strides in the pig industry during the past few years, and which, if farmers will strive to improve the standard of their pigs by keeping . abreast of the latest scientific research information,-; should become perhaps the v leading pigbreeding area in the Dominion. Much has been done in recent years to raise the standard of the pig population of the Dominion, as well as to increase that population, but it will be realised, we think, that the importance of the industry warrants the fullest study that can be applied to pigbreeding. There was a time when people spoke of the “dirty” pig, oblivious qfv-the.fact that it was many of the people who kept the pig who should have had the word “dirty” applied to them,’ for the reason that they did not give the animal a chance to be clean, as is its natural desire. Those days are gone, and even if a farmer lias no incentive other than his’pocket, he realises that it pays him to keep his pigs undbr the very best conditions. This has led to a transformation in methods. Especially is this noticeable in Northland. Wo do not think we will be begrudged a measure of satisfaction in reflecting that the “Advocate” has helped in no small degree hi this development. Our farming contributor, Mr 0. E. Cuming, has persistently urged the importance of the industry, and, by means of letterpress and illustrations, has given farmers a big supply of the most modern information. It must be obvious, however, that more than individual effort is required if the maximum efficiency is to be achieved. The establishment of an instructional and advisory service is, therefore, .welcomed. Such a service cannot be supplied without money, and the levy of twopence per pig, which it is estimated will provide a sum of something like £BOOO per annum, should serve a most valuable purpose. The results that may be expected to follow the extension of the service now decided upon can be gathered from the efforts of the Whangarei A. and P. Society at its last stock show, when it staged the National Bacon Pig Championship. As our readers will recall, this competition produced 60 entries, and was an outstanding success. The pigs were judged on the hoof, and afterwards killed at Moerewa,

where the carcases were judged on the-hooks. Between 20 and 30 of the carcases were selected as; best adapted for making into | bacon, which will be judged at the next Winter Show. In this way, a wonderful education has been afforded to farmers, - who have been enabled to learn exactly the class of animal they should breed for bacon purposes. The A. and P. Society has rendered invaluable service in this respect. The same sort of education is necessary in regard to the rearing of pigs for pork designed to grace the overseas table. It is imperative that the class of pig favoured by the British consumer should be ascertained,, and that breeding, feeding and dressing methods should be the very best. There is an accepted saying in .business that' the customer is always right, and as Smithtield requires ,a certain type of porker, the Smithfield standard must be the New Zealand pig-breeder’s standard. These are matters in which the breeder will be assisted by the service that is to be developed. The magnitude of the pig industry is shown by the fact that the imports of frozen pork .into Great Britain in 1936 totalled 1,035,212ewt., being 110,114 cwt. more than in the previous year. Of the total imports, New Zealand supplied 579,086ewt., or considerably over half, the next highest exporting countries being Australia, with 232,510ewt., and Argentina, with 190,371 cwt. The growth of the pig industry in Northland (which now possesses one-tenth of the Dominion pig population) may be gathered from the record of killings at Moerewa. The killings totalled 4150 in 1931-’2, but by 1936-36 they had increased to 72,004, and it is expected' that the- animals handled at Moerewa this year will reach the 100,000 mark. This performance by Northland farmers is indeed, meritorious, just as meritorious, in fact, as the phenomenal growth they have made in dairy production. The rapid growth of the pig industry, and the great step forward taken by the A. v and P. Speiety at its last show suggest •that just as the "Waikato Winter ■Show is acknowledged to be the greatest butter show in the world, so may the- Whangarei Show become the greatest of all pork and bacon shows. This is an ideal that may, well be striven for) Nature has done) so much for the farmer in Northland that the effort to gain pre-eminence for the North in The pig industry should not be in vain. W