PIGS FOR PROFIT

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1929, 2 November 1926, Page 7

PIGS FOR PROFIT

INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS. The announcement that the business' of the New Zealand Bacon and Meat Packing Company has been purchased, by an Australian firm is of particular 'interest to all iiairy farmers, because the trend of times is for increased interest to be taken in the production of .pigs for both local and export trade. A representative of a Weilil-ingfton (journal 4t3ierafore asked Mr E. E. Forth, a Queensland director of the purchasing interests, to inform New Zealand farmers of the exten't of his company and the policy to be pursued in New Zealand by J. C. Hutton (N.Z.) 'Ltd., which will be under the continued management of Mr S. 'C Baron, manager of the Ne!w Zealand Bacon Company. Mr Forth willingly complied, and explained 'that the founder of the firm, Mr J. C. Hutton, established his business ovdr 50 years ago in Victoria, and after a perictf extended his operations to Queensland, building there at Zillmere a factory which has grown to 'the largest factory of its kind in Australia. In the meantime, to meet the expanding business considerable additions had to be made, to the Victorian facltory, ''which is now one of thei most up-to-tiate in the Commonwealth. After Mr Hutton's death hiis ibusiness wals carried on as an eslbate until the youngest member of the family was 21, when it was formed anto a company, the paid-up capital of which was now £350,000. During fc'hli's period factories were also established at Canterbury (N.S.W.), Launceston (Tasmania), and Fremanifclei (Western Australia). In addition to catering for the local trade of all the stateis of Australia, the firm established a 'large export business throughout the eastern centres, and wa's now the largest exporter of 'the various pork products to Java, iSlingaporq, the Philippine Islands, China, and India. In Queensland the company also handled large quantities of butter and cheese on behalf of variou's co-operative companies, 3 md bad built up a large local and export 'trade in these commodities. INTERESTED IN DOMINION.

The firm became interested in New Zealand because at times when the supply was short in Australia purchases, of New Zealand pork had been made. In consequence their attention was drawn to the necessity of extending theKr business to this country. Hearing that the New Zealand Bacon and Meat Packing business might possibly be acquire):!, klhree of the "'directors vis'ited New Zealand in May last and had now purchased the whole of the assets of that company and established a company here under the title of "J. C. Hutton (New Zealand) Ltt!i.,"' with a capital of £250,000. The new company had taken 'over the .Whole of the staff of th« old company, and would continue to operate the various works as before. "The poffli'cy," said Mr Forth, "will be to cater fully for local requirements first, but also to seek outlets for the! surplus pork and bacon that will be available from time to time. Our long experience in the industry should enable u s to assist the farmers materially in developing this industry. NOT ENOUGH GRAIN FED. Asked to express his views concerning the quality of the New Zealand article, Mr Forth said that investigation of the quality of the pork produce of New Zealand indicated that insufficient attention was being paid' by farmers to the feeding of pigs. If farmers would only grow a , little grain, such as peas, barley, maize, etc., and feed that together with the skim milk, not only would they produce better-quality pork, but they would turn the pigs off their farms fit for the factories in much quicker time. At present it seemed to take about seven to nine months to produce a pig, whereas in Australia pigs were usually turned off the farm in from five to six months. This shorter time meant that the farmer who was keenly interested in the industry would get a bigger return per annum. Farmers were apt to be led astray by the thought that grain was high in cost. Experiments, however, showed that it paid to feed grain, as a grain-fed pig put on more weight in a given time. At present the New Zealand dairy farmer, by not feeding grain and relying only upon skim milk to fatten his pigs over a long period of time, was producing a very flabby pork; whereas the grain-fed pig had superior firm fat. Extensive experiments in grain feeding were available from the United States, showing the value of grain according to the value of pork, and something in this direction might be done in New Zealand at the Government farms or individually by farmers. Definite guidance was certainly needed. In their abundant supply of skim milk the New Zealand farmers had a wonderful asset, but proper use was not being made of it. The best British authorities all advised the use of grains with milk, and the Danish system was entirely built upon the use of grains in addition to milk, A change of blood in the herds ot

New Zealand seemed also to be desirable. His inquiries showed that there had not been many importations into the Dominion of late years of bloodstock, and the quality of the country's pork could be much improved if a number of selected boars and sows could be introduced and distributed amongst farmers. THE QUESTION OF WEIGHTS. Mr Forth, in the course of general discussion, made some interesting remarks concerning the New Zealand tendency to produce too heavy a carcase. In Queensland the aim was 10 produce a carcase weighing not more than 125 lbs dressed; in New South Wales the working average weight was 130 lbs; and in Victoria, 140 lbs. In New Zealand, however, he was sorry to notice that many pigs came in and gave a dressed weight of 180 lbs. This excessive weight was wasteful to the farmer, and was not in keeping with the trend of taste on the part of the consumer. The demand all over the world was for the lighter gnd leaner type of bacon, without excessive fat. The British market paid higher prices for the lighter grades, and the same thing was reflected in Australia and New Zealand. This demand reacted into the breeding and feeding policies of the farmer ,and emphasised the advisability of farmers feeding their pigs well from birth with grain, and topping them off early. With a view to the development of an export trade, equally with a local trade, farmers should be urged to produce a pig which would dress not more than 140 lbs weight. That would produce a carcase suitable for both local and export needs—which would be a big advantage in the case of sound carcases, failing to reach the high standard necessarily imposed for export purposes. THE BREED ISSUE.

In connection wtih breeds, Mr Forth mentioned that ,although the Large White seemed to be coming into prominence in New Zealand, they in Australia seemed to prefer the Middle White, possibly because it gave them a slightly lighter carcase. Popular crosses there were the BerkshireYorkshire cross and the BerkshiroTamworth cross. The latter cross was favoured by many as having a tendency to give the streaky bacon in favour at present. Farmers intending to devote more attention to the pig business would, he thought, be well advised to use pure-bred boars (of which more should be available) but the farmer could safely build upon any good type of sow for a start. The chief point the speaker would emphasise was increased attention to feeding by the use of grain in conjunction with skim-milk. This in itself would top off the pigs earlier, give the factory better weights, and the farmer a' quicker turnover and more profit. In view of the importance that the pig industry was like to assume in New Zealand, there was urgent need for practical instruction being available to farmers from official sources. Experiment along the lines as. to the most practical methods of a farmer growing or purchasing the grain necessary to supplement his skim milk food were very desirable. It was important to remember in this connection that the Danish system of feeding probably had as much to do with the Danes' success on the British market as their methods of breeding. Their system was a housing system, under which the pigs were all fed with grain and milk offal, in conjunction with skim mLk, all the time. Mr Forth said he was satisfied that New Zealand had the opportunity to develop a very big industry in pork production, and it would be the object of his company to systematically and practically encourage the industry and give farmers the necessary outlet for their produce.