PIG INDUSTRY

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 66, Issue 5602, 7 April 1943, Page 5

PIG INDUSTRY

PORK AND BACON SALES STABILISATION SCHEME During the past 12 months operations in the pig industry, and particularly those associated with the purchase of both porkers and baconers in saleyards, have shown increasing instability, and it has been thought necessary to introduce a procedure which would ensure that both the price paid to the producer for pigs and the price to consumers for pig meats would be stabilised within the framework of the Stabilisation Emergency Regulations. It is announced that the Minister of Marketing, Mr Barclay, and his departmental officers have had a number of conferences with all sections of the industry, and as the result of these conferences a final procedure has been determined which it is considered can be successfully operated with a minimum disturbance of existing trade channels. This procedure is embodied in the Pig Marketing Emergency Regulations, 1943, gazetted last week. They apply only to the North Island.

The Regulations provide that in future pigs can be sold either by auction or by private treaty, but if sold by private treaty it must be on the basis of actual dressed weights after killing. They also define the maximum prices which can be paid for such porkers and baconers. These prices have been determined as approximating as closely as possible the average prices received by producers in the North Island for baconer and porker pigs for the year ended December 15, 1942. The prices are in effect guaranteed to the producer by the Export Marketing Division’s purchase of fresh or frozen pig meats at prices directly related to the fixed schedule prices payable to producers for livestock.

The Regulations require that records shall be kept of all sales, and purchases by auctioneering companies, meat operators, freezing works and abattoirs. As the Regulations provide penalties in the case of purchases being in excess of the maximum schedule prices, these records must be kept in order that any infringement may be carefully investigated before legal action is taken.

Power is given the Export Division of the Marketing Department to purchase at defined prices all or any porker or baconer pigs slaughtered for human consumption, with the exception of pigs killed at rural abattoirs. It .is stated that it is impossible on the estimated killing of pigs this year to meet fully the requirements of the local market and the American contracts for bacon and pork placed with manufacturers in New Zealand. It is therefore essential that some central organisation can have the necessary authority to ensure that the available supply is rationed both to the local market and for American requirements on whatever basis is determined by the Government. It is for this reason that the Export Marketing Division is empowered by the regulations to undertake the purchase of pig meats.