THE PORK INDUSTRY.

Waikato Times, Volume 110, Issue 18405, 12 August 1931, Page 9

THE PORK INDUSTRY.

I NEW ZEALAND'S OPPORTUNITY. COMPARISON WITH DENMARK. A PROFITABLE SIDELINE. The fostering of the pig export Industry In New Zealand and the profit that must accrue to the country from a well-developed pig industry are matters often overshadowed In the lay mind by considerations of butter, | cheese and wool producing. The fact: remains, however, that the breeding and export of pigs is an avenue fori profit that merits the keenest applies-] tion. Complaint has been made frequently: that the New- Zealand farmer Is nol i encouraged to breed pigs. Insofar asj the eost of suitable foods Is prohibi- | live. If the pig farmers were en--1 nbled to Import grain from overseas] I free of duty the fattening value of the I skim milk fed to pigs would then be | | doubled and the Industry given an j | opportunity of proving Its undoubted] I possibilities. Owing to the sliding scale of duties, however, the price of wheat in New Zealand remains high, while overseas there are cheap and abundant supplies. | Tlie pig industry of Denmark offers lan outstanding example to New Zea-1 land, ami the industry in that country was established on cheap Imported! grain. New Zealand has all the ad-1

vantages of climate, pasturage, and skim milk supply. Cheap grain only Is lacking. If it were possible to obtain ft the desired quality in the carcases and more economical feeding I of the pig would be attained. The potentialities of the Industry cannot be doubted, since there is an almost unlimited market in Britain. Of the £60,000.000 worth of pork imported Into Britain each year, New Zealand supplies less than £500,000 worth. A great quantity comes from Denmark. While it Is true that quality of produce and satisfying the customers’ requirements are essential points to be considered, proper feeding is but a means to this end. and without it the | major question cannot be approached. The fact that New Zealand can pro- | duce a type of carcase required has j been demonstrated by the favourable I comment passed on pigs bred in New Zealand for exhibition at Home. I In 1928 Denmark, usually considered | in relation to New Zealand as a butter i producing country, exported to EngI land pig produce valued at a sum of £27,796.525. New Zealand exports in tile same year were only £1406,407. In 1929-30, the number of pigs slaughtered in New Zealand was 529.576, of an approximate total weight of 63,549,1401 b. From January 1 to November 14, 1930. the weight of bacon alone exported from Denmark was 574.85J,2001b. Nearly all of tills Danish product was sent to England, while of the pork, bacon and ham produced in New Zealand per cent was consumed in the Dominion. Denmark slso exported in the same period I .'15,506 live pigs. In 1929 New Zealand exported I 183,879,0001 b of butter and 197,777,-

I II 0001 b of cheese. The correspondl-.g r figures for Denmark were 350.620.00tf ) I lb and 14.513,0001 b respectively. Thg ! I total of these dairy produce figured t show 381,133.0001 b for New Zealand and 365,143,0001 b for Denmark; yej ' there is the great discrepancy In Hid output of pig products in the ratio o( about £26,000,000 worth from Dena mark to £400,000 worth from Nestf Zealand. Denmark has shown decisively wha| can be done In conducting the pigs breeding Industry side by side wilpj the dairying Industry. The first cos operative creamery was started in Dena mark In IKB2. and ten years later 70(J creameries were in evistenee. Together with this rapid initial ads vantage went, economically, the des velopment of the pig Industry, until both have raaehed the high standard they enjoy to-day. What Denmartf can do in this direction can bo done id New Zealand. All the pig-breeder :r* the Dominion needs is encouragementb