QUALITY BACONERS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 55, Issue 3941, 18 August 1937, Page 12

QUALITY BACONERS

NEW SYSTEM OF GRADING. UNIFORM BANS DESIRED. The manner in which the new system of pig grading will operate is explained in a circular letter received in Te Awamutu from the DirectorGeneral of Agriculture, Mr A. H. Cockayne, in a statement to producers. The object of the new system will be to improve the export quality of New Zealand baconers, but Mr Cockayne states that the paying of premiums for the different qualities will be left to the trade in the meantime. He adds that he is particularly anxious to avoid the necessity for imposing a levy to provide a fixed premium on quality baconers and suggests means to avoid a levy. It has been decided that, with the co-operation of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board, the Department of Agriculture will employ a sufficient number cf supervising graders to ensure that the grading of baconer pigs will be carried out on a uniform basis. The grading would be carried out according to specified standards and pigs of “finest quality” would be tagged accordingly. OPPOSITION EXPRESSED. “CONCENTRATE ON IMPROVEMENT.” Opposition to the Government’s new grading system has been expressed by Mr P. O. Bonham, secretary of the Hamilton section of the Auckland Provincial Butter-milk Pig Producers’ Association. Mr Bonham said that his association produced 80,090 baconers last year, and the members were vitally interested in the Government’s decision to institute the new system. “The view of my association is that the Minister of Agriculture has made a grave mistake in not concentrating on improving the present first grade by classing as second grade some 10 per cent, to 15 per cent, of the worst kinds of carcase, which during last season were passed as first grade by graders employed at various export slaughter houses,” said Mr Bonham. “It is felt that the fatteners of pigs will react most unfavourably to the action of the department in instituting finest selected grade at a time when there is no unanimity of opinion as to the best type of carcase to produce and before the effect of the twopence a pig levy is felt in the education of the average farmer.” Mr Bonham said that during the season just concluded New Zealand was unable to produce enough baconers to fill the quota allowed her by Great Britain.