GRADING IN PIG INDUSTRY

Taranaki Daily News, 1 May 1930, Page 11

GRADING IN PIG INDUSTRY

HOME AND EXPORT TRADE

CONFERENCE ADOPTS PROPOSAL.

.ABOLITION OF DUTIES ON FOODS

Palmerston N., April 30.

An important conference of delegates from bodies interested in the pig industry was held to-day to consider the ■question of compulsory grading. It was convened by the council of the New Zealand Pig Breeders’ Association. Mr. J. A. Russell presided. The Minister of Agriculture, Mr. G. : W. Forbes, wrote that whatever' decisions might be reached would receive his hearty support. ■ Mr. Russell said that as far as pig .marketing was concerned this was t'he ■first national gathering to consider this vital matter. He confidently expected 'that the outcome of the deliberations would pave the way to bigger ‘ and better business. A matter of the greatest concern to the producers and the curing Section of the trade was to pro,vide a more equitable system of marketing so that the breeder and fattener might receive due recognition of thei.r efforts in producing a superior article as required by the consumer. That was the key to the whole question and an acceptable solution would be the means of establishing greater confidence in an industry which had always been in a more or less uncertain position. Mr. C. Ha-nsmann (.Feilding) urged .that' another £7OOO or £lO,OOO should be • spent'by the Government in sending instructors to farmers so as to reduce mortality in pigs and put the industry on an economical jbasis.. The cost of •foods was infinitesimal compared with the loss through lack of management. Mr. K. W-' Gorringe; instructor; in swine husbandry, did/Rot. agree with compulsory ;grading. : i /By'jnstitijitjng-.a form of grading whereby a man' Whose; pigs were riot up to standard was penalised by the lower price farmers were soon brought up to scratch. Any system, in his opinion, should not come into force for 12 months.

Mr. T. A. Duncan, acting-chairman of the Meat Board, expressed his sympathy with the pig industry. The board had instituted a system of grading which had been a success, and was highly spoken of in England. GRADING TO OBTAIN TYPE.

Mr. D. >S, McLinden, Massey College, said they had to obtain an ideal in type and establish it. Grading would meet with much opposition, but it was the only way to build up a staple industry. Mr. E. P. Neilsen moved that the Government be: requested to pass legislation making it essential to grade all pigs bought for curing or export, differential prices to be paid, and that a deputation’ from the meeting composed bf four representatives of producers and one of curers wait upon the Minister of Agriculture and give him more technical details and an Intimate understanding of. the requirements .of the pig industry. The secretary of the association said dairy companies, with 14,000 suppliers, promised to support the movement. After further discussion Mr. Neilsen stated he was prepared to withdraw the motion and allow the matter to be dealt with by a special committee comprising Messrs Bond, Broadbeit, Morton, Judd, Duncan, Hellaby, Dickie, Allen, Hausmann and Russell. The committee in the afternoon brought forward the following recommendation; That representations be made to the Minister that t'he necessary regulations be gazetted to enable the Meat Producers’ Board to take over full control and accept responsibility for the grading of all pigs killed at meat export slaughterhouses and stamp same as having been eo graded; also that a differential payment be made according to, grade. It was announced that the committee had carried this resolution by six votes to three.

Mr. S. H.. Judd (Waikato) said he ■was responsible; for the resolution. It was not intended .to cover all pigs at present, but it was felt that this was the most practical scheme that could be brought into force without extra expense. Tlie ■ Meat Board had legislative authority to grade pigs, and all that was needed was regulations. The big advantage of the committee’s finding was that grading could be instituted immediately. IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL TRADE.

. Delegates objected to the committee’s finding in that it did not grade baconers used in the New Zealand trade, and unless this were done the whole object of the conference wuold be lost. .

Mr. E. .P Neilsen pointed out that his motion covered the point at issue, and the conference agreed to re-accept it as an amendment to the committee’s finding. The amendment was carried, and after a discussion upon the merits of buying on hook weighte and the necessity for a uniform percentage of shrinkage the conference decided to add to the amendment the words “on hook Weights.” The amendment was then put as the motion and carried. The Hon. E. Newmon introduced the question of duties on stock food and moved the following motion, which was carried unanimously: —“'Whereas the price that farmers in New Zealand receive for all live stock and live stock products produced by them is governed by export parity, thus making it necessary for New Zealand live stock farmers to prodOce at the world’s lowest prices, and whereas grains and concentrated foods of various kinds arc essential to economical live stock production, particularly for balancing and concentrating the rations of pigs and poultry, and to a lesser’ extent of dairy stock, and whereas New Zealand, while being one of the finest grazing countries in the world, docs not produce grains suitable for stock foods at world parity prices, this meeting resolves that the Government be asked to remove the , duties on all grains and concentrated foods required for stock foods and thus enable New Zealand farmers to obtain these stock foods at the world's competitive prices.” A suggestion that maize growers should receive a bounty for three years after the removal of the duties was not entertained, it being considered that a small section of farmers should not hold up' a growing industry like the pig industry. Mr. Newman stated- that Argentine could, be in the Dominion '.;lt 3s a bushel. '’ l r ‘''