EXPORT BACON

Waipa Post, Volume 45, Issue 3251, 5 November 1932, Page 3

EXPORT BACON

INTERESTING COMMENTS ON THE BREEDS. In a report issued by the Empire Marketing Board it is stated that last year witnessed the peak of the recurring cycle of pig production. Steady development of pig breeding occurred in certain Continental countries, and supplies of bacon were on an unprecedented scale, amounting in 1931 to over 11,000,000 cwt, an increase of 21 per cent over 1930, which was a record year. Compared with the average from 1925-1929, imports were increased by 37 per cent, and were double the yearly average for the five years 19091913. The fact that home production of bacon now amounts to a small proportion of imports is lamented. Supplies from Denmark account for almost two-thirds of the imports, but the increase from Poland presents a notable feature; the 1931 figures being nearly double those of the previous year enabled Poland to displace the Netherlands from second place in importance as a supplier. Swedish supplies increased slightly, but the outstanding development in recent years is in Lithuania, which now occupies fifth place in order of importance. Summarised, it can be said that the numbers of pigs in 1931 in the leading European countries concerned reached a very high figure, forcing prices to a low and unremunerative level, which is expected to curtail breeding. It seems likely in consequence that the reduced numbers of breeding sows will result in a decline in the supplies of bacon to the United Kingdom market towards the end of this year. WATSONIA PIGS.

Mr Ross Grant, of the Chief Veterinary Officer's Department, London, states: "In company with the AgentGeneral for Western Australia and the agent, Mr S. H. Fletcher, he inspected 21 porkers shipped on the Hobson's Bay on account of the De■partment of Agriculture, Western Australia. The impression formed as a result of viewing the carcases was that, from the pork butcher's point of view, they were over-fat, lacking a proper proportion of lean, and thus wasteful. As in a previous shipment, some of the. pigs were unfinished, and could easily have been carried another 30 or 40 lb, in which case they would have been better finished, but too heavy. The weights, which ranged from 70 to 100 lb, were suitable, and the pigs were well butchered and of a good colour. Their out-turn would be hard to improve on.

When cut up at a later date on Smithfield market the unfavourable impression formed of the carcases was more than confirmed. The only explanation which he was able to offer to account for the disappointing results in what were evidently intended as show pigs is that the Tamworth, unless, perhaps, entirely dairy-fed, cannot be finished to produce a carcase suitable for the London trade. So much importance is attached to a long loin, clean, light shoulders, and minimum of fat that the Smithfield buyer is prepared to ignore the apparent failings of the Large White breed as a porker. It is a problem, however, that pure Large Whites will not mature quickly enough to produce porkers of the weight in most demand, and that the ideal porker can only be produced by crossing the Large White boar with the Middle White sow. Personally, he thought that the best results would follow the crossing of the Middle White boar with the Large White sow, but from the limited number of experiments he was prepared to admit that this is a mistaken view. Crossed in the latter manner there appears to be a liability to excess fat, which is anathema.

In theory, at least, the Tamworth boar and the Berkshire sow should produce almost as good a porker, except that both these breeds are open to minor objections as regards colour. In practice, however, the TamworthBerkshire cross, even from New Zealand, where it is reported to be very popular, as well as successful, and particularly from Western Australia, leaves much to be desired, and .compares unfavourably with the White breeds.