GRADING OF PIGS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 54, Issue 3912, 11 June 1937, Page 2

GRADING OF PIGS

NATIONAL SCHEME ESSENTIAL. ITS IMPORTANCE STRESSED. Mr W. A. Phillips, chairman of directors of the New Zealand Co-opera-tive Marketing. Association, in the course of an interview with a Te Awamutu Courier representative, made the following statement: “Competent authorities, supported strongly by producer organisations, ’ declare that a national ollicial grading system is imperative, especially for bacon carcases shipped to Britain. In view of the very rapid development of the industry and the necessity of exporting only high quality and uniform carcases, if keen Continental competition is to be successfully faced a national independent grading system is seen to be absolutely essential. The importance of the matter has been repeatedly urged on the Government by branches of the Farmers’ Union, by the Pig Recording Societies, by tlie Co-operative Pig Marketing Association and by other organisations of producers. “Recently the Government called a conference of all interested, including the Meat Export Companies, and tlie conference substantially agreed to tlie necessity of grading and tlie paying of a substantial premium on the highest quality of carcase. It was urged that grading must accompany the proposed national scheme of instruction and organisation for improved quality. One movement, it was declared, was useless without the other, STRONG LEAD WANTED. The supervisor of the pig industry, lately appointed by the Department of Agriculture, Mr M. J. Scott, in setting out the policy of the Department in regard to the industry, declared that an official system of grading was one of the first planks in the forward policy. The Rural Intermediate Credit Board has now issued a special statement, prepared by the Livestock Division of the Department of Agriculture, on the subject, in which it is said that a national grading system is essential, “Yet, in spite of all this and of the vital urgency of the matter, the fact that producers, backed by experts, are in favour of it, that it will cost the Government nothing, and that no sound argument can be advanced against it, the Department of Agriculture appears reluctant to take a bold stand in the matter. In view of the wide diversity of sectional interests in the industry, one can appreciate the Department’s difficulties in securing unanimity of opinion as to the form in which action should be

taken, but since tlie problem is essentially one in which producer interests should prevail, they have a right to expect the Department to take a strong stand in the matter, and will naturally want to know how the Department expects the national scheme of instruction to succeed if pig carcases are not to be graded according to an official standard and an adequate reward given for superior quality. GREAT FORWARD MOVE. “The country is ripe for a great forward move in connection with the pig industry, but if the Government re fuses to establish a national official scheme of grading, the industry will receive a setback from which it will never recover. Tlie proposal advanced by the Department of Agriculture and recently approved by the Pig Breeders’ Association, that the standard of grading now in operation should be varied inly to increase the present percentage of second quality pigs from 2 per cent to 15 per cent, will not be acceptable to the producer, since such a course would have only one certainty to commend it, viz., tliat he would bear a penalty on the greater percentage of pigs so graded without any satisfactory assurance of a compensating or corresponding advantage." MATAMATA SUPPORT. “ESSENTIAL TO THE INDUSTRY." The Matamata Farmers' Union decided to urge tlie Government to institute promptly a system of Government grading of baconer pigs, with a premium for quality, in order to successfully develop the export and local trade. Mr P. R. Hawke said that no system could be successful unless all pigs were sent to the works in the owners’ names and they were paid according to grade. Otherwise, baconers would be sent to the salt-yards, where they could be bought, but not sold to the public, at second-grade prices. Mr D. B, Higgins said the Government would not bear the expense of the 'additional graders. Farmers had offered to bear this expense, which would mean pigs being stamped first, second or third grade. They had to recall that the lamb trade had been built up on the same lines. Mr Bush said the aim was to gain a sound footing on the English market. Mr F. E. Carter said Danish pigs obtained a 25 per cent premium. Mr Higgins said this was due to Danish pigs being topped off with grain, which New Zealand farmers desired in their requests tor free importation for such purposes.