COMMERCIAL

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1783, 15 July 1926, Page 8

COMMERCIAL

THE STOCK MAKKET. CLEARING SALE AT OTOROHANGA. The Farmers' Co-operative Auctioneering Company, Te Kuiti, reports one of the most successful sales for some years in conducting Mr A. S. Smith's sale at Otorohanga on Friday last, taking into consideration the number of cows. Of the. 66 cows offered, the 63 sound animals established 'the high' averag.e of £l6 ss. The show cow Princess, winner of the grade Jerseys at last Otorohanga show, brought £32; the best of the other Jenseys realised £2O to £25 10s, good Jerseys £l6 .to £2O. cows with less production £l3 to £ls 10s; best sold at from £l6 to £l9 10s, goo&=£l4 to £l6. All the cows were in excellent condition, and it was to be noted that throughout the sale those with high production created the strongest competition. The whole herd of 66 cow/s last year averaged 3127 lbs of bultterfat, which will take a lot of beating throughout the north, and only goes l to prove to what degree of productiveness local holdtings can be brought by manuring and sound farming.

INCREASING PBIMAtRI PRODUCTION

DEVELOPMENT OF OUR PIG INDUSTRY. In reference to the embargo on Continental shipments of fresh meat, the New Zealand Meat Producers' Board's London manager has advised the Board that the present feeling in London is that this 'embargo may be likely to last for some time, and good pricets are likely to rule for veal and frozen pork, particularly pork weighing from 80 to 120 lbs. Prices of pork weighing from J. 20 to ISO lbs may not show the same [ advance, as the price of bacon may be Kept in check by the increased supplies of bacon that may come forward jfrcm Holland and Denmark. Tfc.'s is an opportunity of which the pig-riioirs of .New Zealand should take advantage, and 'it is to be hoped that our export of pork next season will show a considerable increase. A comparison in cwts of New Zealand's shipments to Great Britain for the last ended 30th September is as follows: Year 1922, 12,453 cwts; 1923, 32.254 cwts; 1924, 6047 cwts; 1925, 38.028 cwts; 1926 (to 31tet May), 31,048 cwts. It will be seen from these figures that we are increasing our export of pork, but not to the same extent as we should with all the many advantages ■Ntew Zealand possesses over other countries which export pork to Great Britain, particularly in respect of climate and other natural resources. There ib no branch of primary production in New Zealand which gives such scope for expansion as pig-rais-ing. There is an ever-increasing demand for pork in Great Britain, as is evidenced by the fact that last year the value of bacon, hams, pork, and lard imported into the United Kingdom from all source s amounted to no less than '£66,588,56. At present we have only 440,115 pigs in New Zealand, and if we are to build up an export trade we mufet send forward regular supplies, and this can • be accomplished only by farmers raising more pigs. Of rhe numerous pure breeds of pigs the Large White most nearly approaches the ideal bacon pig, and, in the opinion of the Board, from investigations which it has made, it considers the Large White the mdst suit- ' -able to cross with the stock already in •New Zealand for our export trade. The Large White 'does not. at present, hold | that position of prominence in New Zealand to which its many valuable characteristics entitle it. It is said Ij that it is doubtful whether any breed, | except perhaps the Middle White, can | put on more weight for a. given quantity of food consumed than the Large k White. The latter breed is also noted I for its constitution and hardiness, and will prosper under the most trying conditions. As grazers and foragers the pigs of this breed are good even when only a few weeks old. ■ There has always been a considerable quantity of veal shipped to London from Holland, in a fresh state. The immediate result of this embargo Should be shown in the increased | value of British home-killed veal, and manufacturers who trade in fresh' veal may not be able to pay the higher price asked, with the result that they I may have to use o. greater quantity of frozen veal, which should create an increased demand for veal from New 1 Zealand. I