GRADING OF PIGS

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20230, 26 June 1937, Page 12

GRADING OF PIGS

BETTER SYSTEM WANTED. MR W. A. PHILLIPB' VIEWS. COMPARISON WITH DANISH. In addressing the oonferenoe of the National Dairy Federation on essential Improvements In the pig Industry yesterday, Mr W. A. Phillips, ohairman of directors of the New Zealand Cooperative Pig Marketing Association, stressed the great importance of an improved system of grading. For five years the New Zealand Meat Board had persisted in its attitude that there was no need for improved grading because its London office had not agreed with the industry’s claims for a better system, stated Mr Phillips. The London manager of the Meat Board now stated that it was clearly demonstrated that there was practically an unanimous desire among the trade for grading and that New Zealand should, and must, reduce the present disparity between New Zealand and Danish bacon. Professor Riddet, who had recently returned from an extended trip through Great Britain and the Continent where he had the authority of the New Zealand Government to inquire into grading and relative questions, on his return had submitted a report in which the following comments were made:—“The ‘select’ selection is a commercial aim, which is not likely to be achieved by many New Zealand carcases at present, but is common in foreign sides, and should accordingly be used as our definite objective. * The ‘prime’ grade or selection is one to which a reasonable proportion of New Zealand 'baconers can conform. The ‘second’ grade represents those which are definitely prejudicing New Zealand trade interests at the moment. “The ‘select’ grade should command a premium, and although they will be excluded from the present parcels of so-called ‘primes,’ this should not detrimentally affect realisations because at present curers are not able to bid right up to the parity of our pigs because they do not know exactly what will be delivered when purchasing a parcel of New Zealand baooners. Or, in the absence of grades, many curers will not, bother with New Zealand pigs, others buy at a discount, and some make their own selections on the market and reduce their' price for the trouble involved. Denmark’s Development. Denmark, early in the development af its export trade, had inaugurated a strict standard of grading. In 1925 35 per cent of its killings were graded first quality, 30 per cent seoond, and 34 per cent third. In 1931. six years later, the percentage of first quality had risen to >SB per cent, second quality dropped to 25 per cent, and third quality to 18 per cent. In exporting countries strict grading regulations had been enforced to emulate the Danish standard. In all these countries, inoltiding Denmark, payment to the producer was made on a differential basis, aooording to quality. A rigid grading system alone, under official control, without compulsory hooks’ selling, would oertainly he defeated iu its objective by the natural drift of pigs through the saleyards and other similar ohannels, where the penalties of hooks’ sales on inferior quality might not be noticeable, said Mr Phillips. Such a result would, Inevitably, tend to aggravate our problems rather than the reverse. The probltlon of yard and foot selling, however, presented a political issue whioh no Government appeared willing lo tackle. Substantia! Premium. Therefore, it would seem that the only feasible and effective compromise was for a substantial premium to be paid for quality on hooks’ sales only. There would be nothing to stop a premium being paid on saleyard or foot purchase If buyers were willing to pay it, but only on the hooks would It be compulsory to do so. This was fundamentally sound, since from the producer’s point of view the true value of his pigs could at all times be gauged only on dead weight. Any other method must, therefore, give him more than their value to-day, and less to-morrow. Eduoatlonal Levy. The producer was now paying a levy of 2d a pig for instructional and other educational services. What benefit would he gain for tills expenditure of approximately £BOOO a year if he could M"! i"' sure of adequate recompense for the improvement in his product for which this service was designed? The, maximum benefits obtainable with a minium disturbance would, at this stage, be found in the introduction only of a “finest” grade in the existing grading system. If this were done, the premium for this selected grade would have to he fixed at a figure which would offer the incentive to produce It. No matter how it was worked, this premium, ns iu the case of all other charges incidental to the handling of pigs, must come out of ttie farmer's pocket. This being so, it was best that he should know exactly what it was costing him, rather than leave It to the trade to find its own means of providing it. Such would be the position if the levy were collected and the premium paid under the independent control of the Department of Agriculture in tjio manner suggested. To summarise the position, the educational levy now in force would serve no satisfactory purpose without an adequate and official grading system, which in turn was Impractical without a compensatory advantage of a certain payment for improved quality.