Biggest Thing Yet Done For Pig Industry

Northern Advocate, 30 July 1938, Page 6 (Supplement)

Biggest Thing Yet Done For Pig Industry

Pig Club Section

THE Whangarei A. and P. Society, in approving, the other evening, of Mr C. P. Butler's scheme whereby large numbers of bacon pigs will be drawn from all parts of New Zealand to bo exhibited as bacon at the next Winter Exhibition in July, has done the biggest thing for the industry that has yet been done by any body in New Zealand. Not only will the publicity be extremely valuable to New Zealand as a whole, and Northland in particular, but the vast amount of material available must inevitably lead to the amassing of invaluable information by the Northland District Pig Council. Conformation of Pigs. The information which at the moment we are mainly seeking is the details of conformation of such a live animal as will, after curing, produce the ideal bacon. We want to be able to say to the farmer, “breed from this one, discard that one,” and up to the present we have very definitely failed in our attempt to say that with an overwhelming chance of being right. One might as well face the fact that culling up to the present has been

concerned for the purpose of picking out the pigs that seem to- conform to the correct type, following these right through. In order that the most value should be obtained from the wonderful opportunity which thus presents itself, this is essential to success. The second point is that all farmers in Northland who feel that they would like information on the pigs they are breeding, should make a point of entering the competition. Northland farmers should be particularly interested in what is, after all, their own competition. The prizes, although they will be immensely increased, are only incidental. The value lies in the information gained, and there is no better information service offered in New Zealand, or, for that matter, in any other country, than i? offered by the Whangarei A. and P, Society in this, its magnificent effort. No apathy on the part of farmer; should be allowed to enter to mar the value of local competition. Co-operation Essential. It is essential that everyone should co-operate—farmers, freezing works, curei’s, judges, the district pig council

I By W. A. Beattie

and the society, in order to try and lay down definitely the details of baconer type. If this is achieved, and it may well be so, we will have boldly scaled heights that, up till the present, people have assumed without much question, were inaccessible. A fatalistic attitude to things never takes one far, and if we all tackle the problems involved in the pig industry with vigour, enterprise and enthusiasm, there is no knowing to what extent it may develop, particularly in Northland. Already, with our district only scratched, we are turning out nearly 25 per cent, of the export carcases of the Dominion. We can increase this immensely; but let us, at the same time, make every effort to improve the quality of our stock, so that, in company with the increase, wo will ensure a reputation in the market which none can take from us.

done largely with a view to producing anirftals conforming to the standards of judging adopted at shows, and although this standard has much to commend it in many ways, it suffers the great drawback that it was not evolved as a result of a thorough investigation of commercial requirements. Disappointment. v There has undoubtedly been a feeling of keen disappointment and frustration when, at show after show, pigs selected on the hoof as the best have dismally failed to come up to expectations at the later judging. Without desiring in any way to* be critical, it is fair to say that, the hoof judges have not been acquainted with the details of the subsequent judging, and, as a matter of fact, the only two places in New Zealand where the English standards of measurement have been ♦ fully understood and accurately applied in the carcase judging are Whangarei and Palmerston North. As the results in Palmerston North have, unfortunately to my mind, been clouded by introducing other factors such as litter weights, ages, etc., it may be said without fear of contradiction that the only true placings of bacon carcases have been made at the last two Winter Exhibitions at Whangarei. Whangarei Should Remain Centre. It is therefore fitting that Whangarei should remain the centre of the National Bacon Pig Championship of New Zealand. One does not, in saying this, feel that one is being parochial at all, because the methods of financing the exhibition as adopted by the Whangarei A. and P. Society are the only ones that definitely permit the carcases being cut at the places necessary to correct and accurate judging. There are two matters in connection with the competition which appear to require attention, and as the time is so rapidly approaching when the litters are born that will grow to the required weight by the middle of next March, it seems opportune to devote space to them now. Definite Line on Type. The first matter is that, since as a result of the last competition and of the suggestions made by Mr Kneebone, one of the judges, we feel that we have a definite line on the type that will do well. Someone with that knowledge should ne present at the hoof judging at all the other shows