PIGS FOR EXPORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21119, 29 February 1932, Page 10

PIGS FOR EXPORT.

AUCKLAND SHOW CLASSES.

"A MISLEADING AWARD"

CRITICISM OF THE TYPE.

Fears that the allocation of the premier award in the special class for export porkers at the Auckland Show last week might be misleading to farmers who are endeavouring to produce/a type of carcase which will meet the demands of the London trade were expressed on Saturday by Mr. E. E. Hale, chairman of the Waikato Pig Recording Club. Basing his criticism on the club's experience, during the past few years, in sending trial shipments of porkers to Smithfield, he contended that the first prize pig in the class last week was of the type which English merchants were anxious to eliminate from the market.

" First of all," said Mr. Hale, " I would like to offer the club's congratulations to the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association in making a very progressive endeavour to stimulate the export pork industry by providing such liberal prizes as those at this year's show. Considering the apparent shortness of time in bringing forward this and the special bacon classes, the entries must be considered very satisfactory, especially from a numerical point of view. In offering the criticism I do, it is my desire to be constructive, in order to assist agricultural and pastoral associations which might have the foresight to encourage simtlar classes in the future.

" The export porker trade is the more suitablo to New Zealand conditions at the present time and it is necessary for an exhibitor to have at least eight months notice of these classes to enable him to breed for exhibition. The show awards are intended to give the farmer a standard of carcase 'on the hoof ' at which to aim, therefore, it is essential that the judge be conversant with the English trade requirements. To make the classes more instructive, and in fairness to exhibitors, every entry should be turned into the race for judging and put over the scales to ensure that it complies with the weight requirements. " I am compelled to criticise the premier award in the porker class and I consider it was very misleading to the producer of export pork. From all the information obtained through experimental shipments of porkers to London during the past few years I would predict that the pig placed first at the show will be unplaced when the carcases come up for judging at Smithfield. " This particular animal is of the type which London is anxious to eliminate from its markets inasmuch as it is short, heavy jowled and carries excessive back fat, and therefore does not comply with the present-day demand which calls for a lengthy, lean, fine-boned type giving small joints with a minimum of waste. Tin's pig arid its unplaced mate were the only exhibits in the class which were definitely of the wrong type for the export market. " Perhaps 1 should emphasise that we, as a club, are tied to no breed. Wo are anxious to assist pig raisers in their many problems of production and to co-operate with other associations who also are trying to place the pig industry in the major position it should be occupying to-day. I consider that future competitions of this nature should be judged on a universal standard of points. The English market demands a certain well-defined type. This is the market we must aim to satisfy and what could be more logical or likely to encourage a progressive development in the desired direction than for euch classes to be judged strictly in accordance with thoso requirements?"