PORK.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 37, 8 February 1912, Page 3

PORK.

In the opinion of Mr John Allan, manager of the Inglewood bacon factory, there will be practically no pork axported from New Zealand this year. Pressed for a reason, Mr Allan told a “News” reporter that there were perhaps two reasons, the most important of which was the big shortage of pigs. Last year he added, there were plenty of pigs coming forward, but this season dairy farmers seemed to have’ gone in for calves as, their side lino, good prices—up to 35s—being offered. Those farmersj however, who had stood by the pig, were' obtaining very good prices for their stock. Never before, as in the ;ase of •this year, ■ had he known the nice paid to farmers to remain at sd. ts far into the season? jas jlj’obruary. Usually prices declined labbnt, ,by I)ebc I m'tyer< Present indications ■ ;w’drdthat there would be no drop right through tho season. Owing to the shortage of supplies tho whole of the output iu New Zealand would, it apneared, be consumed in the Dominion. Any surplus pork from last season had long since been cleared out, and certain factories had even bad to import two- shipments of carcases from Australia. Another factor precluding the export of pigs to England this year was the price at present ruling, ft being only 4fd per lb. This was less than what was being paid to farmers. From other v remarks made by Mr Allan, the reporter gathered that those concerned with the indns‘;ry are sometimes fajicd with this problem : When all the dairy farmers ■went in for pigs the factories got more than was required for local consumption, and prices sometimes declined in consequence. When they reached a certain production they had bo export and throw themselves on the tender mercies of the Home market. Then, on the other hand, if, is had happened this year, numbersif farmers deserted pigs in favour of calves, the price rose considerably, ind the result was that certain farmers. lamented the fact that they had >;one over to the other camp. As further illustrative of the varying conditions of the market it may bo stated that for the first nine months if last year about 13,000 carcases of pork were (our representative was informed) exported from tho Dominion. That the bacon industry lias grown in recent years, however, is seen in the fact that in 1902 loss than 2000 pigs were put through tho Inglewood factory. Last year no less than about 5000 animals .were slaughtered.