BACON PIGS WANTED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23930, 4 October 1939, Page 5

BACON PIGS WANTED

• SUPPLIES FOR BRITAIN FAMiERS ADVISED ON WEIGHT; STIPULATION (Pes United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Oct. 3. The United Kingdom wants all the, frozen bacon pigs New Zealand-cani send arid-has stipulated that pigs be.-j low 1011 b are- not required. There; will be hoi export of carcasses' below; that weight, to the British market, and' in a statement to-day the Minister of Agriculture (Mr W< Le 6 Martin) emphasised, that ' it would' be • necessary for "farmers to bring all Digs for export ■ tobacoher weights. ••. • "This change in the kind of-carcass produced creates new problems," the Minister said, "and careful' planning of feed -supplied is all important. With the falling off of feed supply/in; the. autumn many farmers slaughter large numbers of summer and ;autumn litters' as light porkers, but these pigs, will, now, have to be carried on to the baconer, stage. ' .'■ '■ '•'. "■'• •«. '•) "There are ' three > chief < ways oy which present pigs can be turned; into bacon: (1). By. selling the hghtei. baconers'andvusing the feed so'slaved to bring porkers • how exported '■ up, to bacon, weight; .(2) by seeing that, imported, meals and grairiare used and by growing crops to provide extra Arrangements are being- made for :the .importation of Australian grain but the indications are that the quantity available will not be sufficient and. therefore., it is imperative that special cropping should be carried out bv the farmer. Home-grown crops will be necessary, if the pig industry is to meet., the requirements of the British market. "Parmers who now produce pork should provide for the extra feed they require by growing it where possible. Farmers who now produce bacon should consider turning these off especially after February as light baconers and purchasing stores to finish. There are bound to be large numbers of these for offer. Farmers who produce, mixed pork and bacon should sell what pork they can as light as possible and put the extra feed into nigs they carry on to bacon "In view of the uncertainty of the duration of the war every effort should be made to produce the extra feed required and to retain the present number'of breeding stock."