WEALTH FROM PIGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19320, 6 May 1926, Page 13

WEALTH FROM PIGS.

BACON FOR LONDON MARKET. NEW ZEALAND'S OPPORTUNITY. LARGE SUPPLIES IN DEMAND. fCY TELEGRAPH.—0 T ,VN CORRESPONDENT. ] WELLINGTON, Wednesday, "I hope to see the clay when Now Zealand farmers will be receiving £2,000,0D0 each year for bacon cheques." These words, uttered by Mr. A. 11. Gorringe, instructor in"swine husbandry for the Agricultural Department, at the quarterly meeting, of tho Dominion executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, show the faith h'i has in the future of New Zealand's pork industry. Mr. Gorringe said the position before the strike in England had been very good indeed. Consignments of carefully-selected bacon pigs had been sent Home, and so well had- these been received that the provision merchants in London had expressed themselves being ready to reject the best bacon offering to the London market for the New Zealand article. One difficulty at Home was in defrosting the frozen article, and in obtaining regular supplies. The Home merchants were prepared to buy from New Zealand providing they could get the same quality as had already been sent Home. : Great Britain imported about £50,000,000 worth of bacon each year. Denmark, which had been building up her bacon export trade for 20 years, exported £22,000,000 worth of bacon last year, as against £20,0p0,000 worth of dairy products. This showed the value of the bacon industrv.

There was only one way for New Zealand to build up a trade in bacon \v:,th Great" Britain, said Mr. Gorringe. There were eight distinct breeds of pigs in New Zealand, which favoured the Berkshire. ' The London market wanted long, lean bacon carcases, and buyers were particular in their tastes. A London buyer had recently told him that he was prepared to take 20,000 carcases of pigs a year if be could get the right kind, and another London buyer had stated that he was prepared to take 35,000 carcases a year. Two foreign countries, Denmark and Holland, held the world's bacon trade in the hollow of their hands. The pig was head and shoulders above everything on the farm, and if properly managed would prove just as profitable to New Zealand as it had done to Denmark and Holland. The industry was going along slowly but surely in Zealand, but too slowly, otherwise they would not have to turn down orders for £200,000 worth of bacon, ; as they had been compelled to do recently. The" Argentine and Russia, continued Mr. Gorringe, were going to make a big bid for the British market before long. New Zealand had started on right lines, but was proceeding too slowly. They should go right after the British market now, and he hoped to see the day when New Zealand would be receiving £2,000,000 annually for bacon. A special vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Gorringe for his address, and it , was decided to request the Agricultural Department to endeavour to give more assistance to Mr. Gorringe in pushing the pork industry along in the Dominion.