BARLEY FOR PIGS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 60, Issue 4229, 10 January 1940, Page 2

BARLEY FOR PIGS

BACONERS IN DEMAND. ■When asked to comment upon the special arrangements made by the Government for the importation of Australian barley for pig production, Mr W, A. Phillips, chairman of directors of the New Zealand Co operative Pig-marketing Association, Limited, said that on the current hooks value for pigs, which was now about 3d per lb above that available last year, barley at 3s 4d per bushel ex main ports was both an attractive and profitable proposition. The Department of Agriculture was commended for its efforts in that direction, and Mr Phillips said the imported bailey would supply a vital need at a time when New Zealand farmers without supplies of supplementary food at an econo.mic cost would have been hard pressed to carry their pigs into marketable weights of the class desired.

The price fixed for supply from Ist February was for cash with order and for a minimum quantify of ten sacks. “It is most desirable,” said Mr Phillips, “ that the utmost advantage should be taken of*this offer by producers to increase their production to baconer weights—that is, over 100 lbs hooks weight—and to this end it is to be hoped that dairy companies and all kindred organisations will make a special effort to assist their shareholders to facilitate purchases of barley at this cash price. The minimum quantity of ten sacks may be excessive for some, but this difficulty could be overcome by two or three farmers joining for the purchase of their requirements.” Mr Phillips said bacon was one of the most vital food requisites for the allied forces in the present war in Europe, and now that a satisfactory supplementary food supply was assured at an economic cost it behoved all sections of the bacon indus- . try and trade to co-operate with producers to the utmost of their ability to extend the export of bacon pigs from New Zealand-

“ This very welcome development,” concluded Mr Phillips, “ together with the latitude afforded to us by the Imperial Government to shijp pigs under 100 lbs up to 25 per cent by weight of our baconer exports should completely arrest any fear in the minds of farmers about finding a ready and profitable sale for every pig they can rear.’’