DOMINION’S PIGS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21220, 17 September 1940, Page 10

DOMINION’S PIGS

RESISTANCE TO CHANGE INFERIOR BREEDS KEPT The New Zealand farmer’s preference for a type of pig which, by world standards, was stated to be definitely inferior, was discussed by Dr. C. P. McMeekan, Professor of Animal Husbandry at Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, in an address on the adaptability of live stock to environment, given to the Canterbury branch of the Geographical Society. The English Large White and the Danish Landrace had the highest reputations as the most improved pig breeds in the world for bacon production, said Professor McMeekan. They had been developed under a high plane of nutrition conditions, and under the close personal supervision of efficient husbandmen. Consequently they demanded similar conditions for efficient production, and were therefore quite unsuited for average New Zealand conditions. The Large White was consequently unpopular with the average New Zealand farmer, who failed to provide anything approaching the standard of feeding and management required. He preferred his own nondescript pig, which had the immense advantage, under haphazard New Zealand methods, of being able to deal with huge volumes of skim milk when these were available, and of existing on little or nothing when they were not. Resistance to Change “With such a worthy animal, our farmers strongly resist a change to a type which requires feed to keep it alive, even though such a change would bring marked improvement in' the quality of his product.” Professor McKeekan continued. “When I was in London the head of the Bacon Development Board of Britain expressed curiosity about the reason for New Zealand’s adherence to its present type of pig and for the unpopularity of the Large White—the only animal of importance in the country to which we send all our exports and to which we are trying to build up a pig trade. After hearing my story of the inability of the Large White to stand up to the severe conditions of irrational feeding, inadequate equipment, filth and disease, and lack of adequate attention on the average New Zealand farm, he shook his head sadly and summed up as follows: ‘Well, I suppose it is all right—primitive people need primitive animals.’ ”