FROZEN PORK.

Putaruru Press, Volume V, Issue 175, 10 March 1927, Page 6

FROZEN PORK.

EXPORT TO BRITAIN. Australia’s Problems. That there is a splendid market available in Great Britain for frozen pork lias been pointed out in these columns on frequent occasions. Recent shipments from Victoria of frozen pork of weights suitable for curing into bacon realised prices sufficient to cover costs at the lower rates which ruled in the pig market when the shipments were made. This is not the first occasion on which trial shipments of frozen pork have been exported from ’ Victoria to Great Britain, but from the point of view of a permanent trade the results up to the present have not been encouraging. There is no country in the world where the natural conditions are more favourable for pig raising than Australia, but the economic conditions are such that it has hitherto been impossible to successfully compete with other countries possessing fewer natural advantages, and which are taking the lion’s share of the £66,000,000 annually spent by Great Britain on pig products. Australian pigraisers are handicapped by unreliable and expensive labour, dear feed, excessive freights on the railways, high marketing and slaughtering charges, and shipping rates which represent a difference of 3/6 on an average-weight pig, as compared with the freight from New

Zealand to Great Britain. These overhead charges xirecludc the possibility of Australia being able to compete for even a share of the home markets. What is the remedy for these unsatisfactory conditions? Denmark has captured the British trade by supplying a 1 high-grade article only and by a con- * tinuity of supplies. Unless Australia I is able to do the same and sell at the same prices it is unlikely that an export trade will be successfully established. To enable pig-raisers in the Commonwealth to do this it will be I necessary to reduce the cost of production, a problem that presents many difAcuities. The first essential is cheaper 1 feed, which so long as wheat is ex- ; ported in the form of grain, instead of j it being gristed in the country and the ! flour sent overseas, is out of the ques- ; tion. The high prices of mill offals is having a depressing effect upon the pigraising industry, and until they can be ! purchased at more reasonable rates it is unlikely that the output of pig pro- ' ducts will materially increase. I Before attempting to open up outside markets an endeavour should be made to increase the consumption in Australia. To many bacon and pork are a luxury, whereas they should be within the reach of all. Th e disparity between the price paid to the producer and that charged jto the consumer is too great. Either j the man who fattens the pigs is rcceiv- ! ing too little or the middlemen who handle them are making unreasonablo profits. This matter calls for invesliI gation. and if it is found that the existing methods of marketing are not satisI factory another should lie devised.