PROGRESS OF PIG INDUSTRY

Southland Times, Issue 23320, 2 October 1937, Page 15

PROGRESS OF PIG INDUSTRY

VAST IMPROVEMENT SHOWN INCREASE IN KILLINGS

Providing interest is maintained for two years, the pig industry will be “out of the wood,” according to a view expressed by Mr J. M. Scott, B.A. B.Sc., director of the Government’s policy in regard to the pig industry. Mr Scott said that no other industry could point to such a vast improvement in the output as the pig industry, killings rising from about 3500 to over 1,000,000 in 10 years, and he hoped before long to have them reach 2,000,000 carcasses. He also sought an improvement in the average of 9J years a sow; this was lower than 12 reached in some countries, or 14 a sow on some farms. Pigs must always be subsidiary to cows, but there was no reason why the pig should not take a more prominent place on the farm. An instructional and educational service was one of the best ways of increasing the numbers and quality of pigs and to remove the apathy and inertia on the part of some producers. USE OF MEAT MEAL The use of meat meal for wintering pigs and the production of 401 b weaners had done a lot for the industry. The 401 b weaner has been adopted in most countries as the standard. The man who sets out to secure a 401 b weaner must be observant and must keep his eye on the pigs. The adoption of the 401 b standard throughout the Dominion would eliminate many of the abuses. Standards for industry were important. New Zealand was producing from 281 b to 301 b of pig meat a cow, but 601 b a cow could still be produced. There was one sow to 15 or 16 cows, but a standard of one sow to eight cows was an excellent one and was maintained by some. In Denmark milk comprised 25 per cent, of the pig food supplies, grass 40 per cent., and grain and roots 35 per cent. The Danes used the feed they grew at first, and then when the country had placed the industry on a profitable basis, imported grain. In 1880, Denmark grew no root crops for pigs, but now 1,500,000 acres of roots were grown. They required a standard of capital for investment in pigs. People had not been afraid to invest capital in their dairy farms, from £lO to £l5 a cow mostly. They realized that this was live capital, but there were no specialists in pigs and few seemed anxious to invest in them. MONEY IN PIGS Now, however, it was realized that there was money in pigs, and up to £25 a sow could be spent profitably. If this standard was allowed throughout the Dominion, it would mean an investment of £3,000,000, but such a large sum might fail to attract outside capital.

Ike situation was teeming with possibilities. The pig business called for considerable judgement, end if the interest shown was maintained for a year or 18 months, much could be accomplished. By that time the industry would be more or less “out of the wood.” ' Mr Scott said that for an investment of £25 a sow, the return should be £49 a yea. on the basis of 14 pigs at £3 10/- each, less the cost of feeding, but much depended upon the judgment of the man who owned the pigs.