BACON-CURING INDUSTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 26 August 1908, Page 21

BACON-CURING INDUSTRY.

INSPECTION OF PIGS. WELLINGTON, August 24. A deputation of persons interested in the bacon-curing industry waited on the Minister of Agriculture this morning, and urged that greater facilities were wanted for the inspection of pigs killed for human consumption outside slaughterhouses. It Avas admitted that the present system of inspection of sheep and cattle was very effective, but complaint was made that the inspection of swine j was almost neglected. It was stated that of the 100,000 pigs killed last year, nearly 9 per cent, were found to be affected. The officers of the Stock Department found that 7.53 per cent, of the pigs in the country were affected with tuberculosis. The companies lost about £1000 per year because they rightly killed pigs under a thorough system of inspection, and they considered it unfair that others should be allowed to carry on without any inspection whatever. The deputation suggested that it should be an offence to expose bacon for sale either here or abroad which had not been killed under Government supervision. One speaker said that his firm had had 498 pigs totally condemned. These cost £1249, and of that amount only £228 would be received as a drawback from the Government. The Minister, in reply, said that it had been proved that the percentage of disease amongst pigs was much greater in districts where dairying was carried on, and where pigs were fed on the by-pro-ducts of factories. This was one of the reasons which had decided the Government to make a thorough inspection of dairies. He would introduce a bill this session to make the inspection of all pigs killed at slaughtering establishments obligatory. He thought that eventually the slaughtering of pigs on farms woulij have to be prohibited.