Competition For Quality.

Thames Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 18957, 14 November 1933, Page 4

Competition For Quality.

MEAT BOARD'S PRIZES. IMPROVING EXPORT STANDARDS A valuable factor in the improvement in the quality of the Dominion's lambs, and in educating the fanner as to the requirements of the Home market, is the district- competition in export lambs conducted annually by the Meat Producers' Board. This has been running for two years, and the conditions for the current competition have been determined by the Board, substantially .on the lines of preceding competitions, the only change being to Clause 3, Avhich sets out the conditions as to the breeding of lambs to which the competition is confined. Full particulars have been circulated to Agricultural and Pastoral Societies. The North Island is sub-divided into twelve districts, and the South Island into ten districts, in each of which an A. and P. Association will be the controlling body. To enable farmers to see the carcases of lambs after they are killed, so that useful comparsions may be made as to quality, arrangements are made for all the entries from a particular district to be killed at the same freezing works on the same day, when farmers are invited to inspect the exhibits. If any district requires the services of the Board's supervising grader to select the best 15 pens for the competition, he will carry out this duty. A perpetual challenge shield is offered by the Board for the best district display from the North Island, and also one for the best district display from the South Island. Wairarapa and Southland took the honours last year. • In addition, the Board offers for each Island separately a first prize of £ls, second of £lO, and third prize of £5 for the best individual lots of lambs shipped.

Royal Show Prizes. As the Board's district lamb competition is judged in London, it has decided to amend the conditions under which it offers prizes for lambs at the Royal Show. Therefore, at the Auckland Royal Show next February, the fat lamb class, for lambs most suitable for the Dominion's export trade and the type most desired to keep up our reputation on the London market, will be judged only at the Show, and not sent forward for judging in England 4 as hitherto. The prizes are: First, £10; second, £5; third, £2/10/-. The Meat Producers' Board has replaced the London-judged class by one in the shorn class, for the best type of long-woolled ram (one shear) for breeding long-woolled ewes for crossing with black-faced rams to produce the ideal lamb for export. Also another new class for which the Board is providing the prizes at the Royal Show is for the best type of one shear Southdown ram for crossing with long-woolled ewes to produce the ideal lamb for export. Export Pig Competition. In framing the conditions for the export bacon and porker pigs, competition for which it provides prizes at the Royal Show, the Meat Producers' Board has this year ma a variation designed to greatly widen the scope of the competition by enabling the small farmer to compete. Instead of requiring a pen of three pigs in each class, the competitive entry is to be one pig. Prizes are given for bacon pigs judged alive on the grounds, and the entries are then killed and shipped Home for judging of the carcases by three competent judges, a further series of prizes being provided. Entries in this class will compete for the new Challenge Cup donated by Lord Bledisloe for the best baconer carcase most suitable for the export trade to the United Kingdom," and which will best meet the requirements of baconer curers.

Fat Porker Pigs.—A further competition for which prizes are given by the Meat Producers' Board at the Eoyal Show covers fat porker pigs most suitable for export, and two series of prizes are provided, the pigs being judged alive on the show ground, and again when the carcases reach London. A special display of the entries will be arranged on Smithfleld market.