Concern Regarding State Of Pig Industry

Waikato Independent, Volume XLV, Issue 6235, 6 May 1949, Page 8

Concern Regarding State Of Pig Industry

"The present state of the pig industry should give cause for grave concern to all thinking people," said the chairman of the Waikato District Pig Council, Mr A. G. Alexander, in his report to the annual meeting in Hamilton on Monday. "I am certain that one day—possibly not so far ahead as some think —NewZealand will be striving to export considerably increased quantities of pig meat," continued Mr Alexander, "and it is most regrettable that the Government in spite of repeated approaches, continues to ignore the advice of leaders of the industry at a time when Britain is anxious to obtain more supplies, and is buying from foreign sources at prices much higher than we receive.. j "In pre-war years approximately half of our total production was sent to Britain, the exported tonnage ranging from 20,000 to 30,000 tons. Last year les3 than 10,000 tons was exported, representing under a quarter of our production." Owing chiefly to exceptionally good climatic conditions, said Mr Alexander, production for the past nine months was slightly ahead of that for the same period of last year, and it was hoped that this small gain would be at least held over the remaining quarter. Unfortunately, prospects of maintaining production next year were not good, unless steps were taken to give a better - return to producers and thus afford them additional means of surmounting the many difficulties which surrounded the raising of pigs today. Over a long period of years a substantial proportion of pig meat in New Zealand had been produced from dairy "n.ctory butter milk, but owing to a much more attractive price being now available for this butter milk in the form of powder, most of the larger factories in the coming year would be changing into this more profitable channel and going entirely out of pigs. A number had already done so. It was certain that a considerable loss in pig meats, amounting to many thousand of fat pigs annually, would result from this change-over.