THE PIG INDUSTRY

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 62, Issue 4435, 9 June 1941, Page 4

THE PIG INDUSTRY

BRITISH REQUIREMENTS. GOVERNMENT’S PROMISE. In the course of the annual report of the National Dairy Association, received in Te Awamutu on Saturday, the following appears in relation to the pig industry: “As an unavoidable war measure Britain has been forced to seek her supplies of bacon from nearer sources, and in particular from Canada and the United States of America. Her need for making the best possible use of available refrigerated shipping made it inevitable that supplies, not only of bacon, but all other classes of meat, should be drawn from the nearest available points, and this decision will be accepted without complaint by our pig producers. “Nevertheless, the announcement made in March by the Minister of Marketing that no more baconer pigs would be accepted for export, came as a severe shock to the industry, constituting as it did, a complete reversal of the situation up to that time. In response to the previously expressed wishes of the Imperial Government, every effort had been devoted to produce pigs of baconei weights, and the sudden cessation of killing left many producers in a very unfortunate position. However, this hardship was eventually recognised by the Government which, after representations had been made to the Minister, agreed to allow limited killings for a further period of two months, this period ending on 17th May.

“With respect to porkers, Britain has agreed to continue to accept shipments for an indefinite period, of carcasses up to 1201 b weight, and consequently, producers will still have an outlet for pigs coming within this category. At the same time, exports of pork will come within the restrictions which now apply to all other classes of exportable meat and will be limited to the amount of shipping and freezing space available under the new conditions.

“Despite the shipping limitations, the Government has announced that it will adhere to its undertaking to purchase all meat killed to 30th September and to this extent, and subject to the limitations imposed by available cold store accommodation, the interests of producers are to a certain extent safeguarded to that date.”