EXPORT BACON TRADE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19550, 4 February 1938, Page 2

EXPORT BACON TRADE

IMPROVING THE QUALITY GRADING REGULATIONS MEETING NEEDS OF ‘ MARKET (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night. Regulations governing the grading of baeoner pigs are published in the Gazette this evening, and come into force to-morrow. The object of the regulations, which have been prepared by the Department of Agriculture, is to improve the quality of export bacon, which has now reached formidable proportions, and to meet the wishes of curers in the United Kingdom.

In commenting on the regulations, the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, said the marked increase in the quantity of bacon exported made it essential that grading standards should be fixed, if New Zealand bacon was to asqulre a reputation on the British market in competition with the products of other countries. The quality of the bacon from other countries had improved in recent years, and New Zealand could not afford to lag behind. It was easier to live up to a good ieputation made in the early stages oJ trade than to live down a bad one, he said.

“The standards we have adopted arc those now in force in Canada, and are based on the thickness of back fat over the shoulder and over the loin," said the Minister. “These standards are accepted by English curers, and as a result exporters will be able to pay producers' in New Zealand the whole of the premiums expected for quality pigs on the English market. They have, in fact, already announced a premium-of 2d for No. 1 prime grade over No. 2, with a similar premium of |d between No. 2 and N0.*,3. This is from 4s to 5s a carcase and should prove a most valuable incentive to those who are anxious to improve their pigs.

Uniform Standard at all Works

“The grading will be performed by the works grader, as is now being done with lambs, but the measurements of the graded pigs will be checked each day in all works by an officer of the Department of Agriculture and the senior meat inspector.

“Supervising graders employed by the New Zealand Meat. Producers Board will see that a uniform standard is adopted at all works. These two official services, combined with an open invitation from all fre^ works for producers to come and set their pigs graded, should be sufficient to establish confidence in grading m the mind of all producers.

"In the standards adopted, length has not been taken into consideration but from the measurements of approximately 70,000 pigs supplied by the trade during October, November and December, there is ample evidence to confirm the already wellestablished fact that when pigs are selected for their back fat, an automatic selection of long pigs is made. Figures, collected by the department show that a reducton of iin. back fat means an increase of lin. in • Curers are more concerned with back lat, than length. Farmers themselves can see length, and our investigations have shown that if selections are made for this visible attribute, there is every indication that we will produce the lean pig now demanded by the consumer and supplied by our competitors.”