THE Director-General's PAGE

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 63, Issue 5, 15 November 1941, Page 368

THE DirectorGeneral's PAGE

Britain Wants More Bacon RRANGEMENTS have now been finalised with Great Britain to purARRANGEMENTS have now been finalised with Great Britain to purchase 11,000 tons of baconers for the year ending September, 1942. Some time ago it was announced that Great Britain would purchase 5,090 tons. These 5,000 tons are now included in the 11,000. All carcasses are to be shipped as Wiltshire sides, made from pigs of 111 to 1601 b. carcass. The 11,000 tons represents the slaughtering of 210,000 baconers for export, and these, along with the 250,000 baconers for local use, mean that for the next twelve months more than half the pigs slaughtered will have to be taken to ( bacon weights. The Marketing Department will continue purchasing baconers throughout the season.

IN addition to the 11,000 tons of baconers, there will be a certain amount of porkers for export. Although the absence of any prospect for the export of bacon during the last six months turned the attention of many producers to pork, a number of circumstances, particularly the increase in the manufactured cheese, have caused a reduction in the number of pigs now on hand.

The whole of our production for the year ending September, 1942, is limited to the pigs already born or due to be born , before the end of this month.’ There is little possibility of increasirig the number of pigs killed during the next year by mating sows from now onwards. It is estimated that for the

year ending September, 1942, the killings of all pigs will be about 800,000, and on this basis there will be about 150,000 porkers for export. As in the past two years, the killing of porkers for export should be deferred as much as possible to the latter part of the season, as otherwise the requisite tonnage of baconers may not be realised. In view of the fact that producers are now asked to turn more pigs into

bacon, there will be requests for further supplies of meal. Copra has given satisfactory results over the last year, and the Government is making every effort to have further supplies available. Because of transport difficulties, it is impossible to give any definite assurance that supplies. of copra will

be available, k and producers are advised to make full use of meat-meal, maize, and the copra-meal, which is being imported from Australia, if and when extra meals are required to bring pigs to bacon weights.

Collection of Ergot A BIG drive is being made this A BIG drive is made this year for the collection of ergot, and it is hoped that a large quantity will be collected. The campaign will be directed by an executive committee -consisting of Messrs. R. B. Tennent, Director of the Fields Division . (chairman); O. G. Thomas. New Zealand Farmers’ Union; H. B. Martin, secretary of the New Zealand Grain and Seed Merchants’ Association; S. G. Phillips, Wright, Stephenson, and Co.. Dtd.; W. M. Hamilton, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research; and J. E. Bell, Land Utilisation Officer. Department of Agriculture. A conference has been held of representatives of organisations which are able to assist in the drive for the collection of ergot, and it is pointed out that while various organisations can do much in obtaining an unprecedented quantity of this valuable drug, the campaign can be a real success only if every individual in a position to do so makes a special effort to collect as much ergot as possible. Among the organisations whose support has been enlisted are the Farmers’ Union, the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union, the Women’s Institute, the District Councils of Primary Production, the Young Farmers’ Clubs, the Boy Scouts, the Girl Guides, and the grain and seed merchants.

Details regarding the collection of and payment for ergot are to be found elsewhere in this issue.

New Type of Ryegrass A NEW type of ryegrass for.short ANEW type of ryegrass for short rotational pastures has been tried out by the Grasslands Division of the Plant Research Bureau. This new grass is the result of crossing Italian ryegrass with pedigree perennial ryegrass, and the careful selection ,of the best strains. ■ The type which has been evolved is admirably adapted for sowing down short rotational pastures, as it is high in yield and more perennial than Italian ryegrass. This new grass will shortly be put under certification by the Department of Agriculture, and it is hoped before long that this succulent, high-yielding grass will be available to farmers. It will be particularly suitable for the South Island, where short rotational pastures are widely sown.

Increase in Amount of Wool Scoured THERE has been a remarkable increase in the amount of wool scoured in New Zealand. The whole of the scouring plants are working double or treble shifts under contract to the British Government, and in the icoming season will handle about 16 per cent, of the total amount of greasy wool produced in the Dominion. . This activity in New Zealand will speed up the further processing and manufacture of the wool in the United .Kingdom, and there is no doubt that it is a valuable, if little known, part of our war effort. Agricultural Regulations. By A. E. MORRISON, Solicitor, Department of Agriculture. IMPORTATION OF PIGS. BEFORE the making of the Stock Importation Amending Regulations, 1941, persons desiring to import pigs from Australia were required to obtain a permit to import from the Minister of Agriculture. Where permission to import was granted, it was necessary that each consignment should be accompanied by a declaration of freedom from disease duly verified by the certificate of a Government Veterinarian of the State , of exportation.

As the result of the discovery of the disease kidney worm in pigs which had been imported from Australia, the ■ amending regulations impose further restrictions on importations from the Commonwealth. , In addition to requiring a permit to import, the amending regulations call for a declaration by the shipper as to the locality or place where the pigs were bred or raised and a declaration that they have been in the State of exportation since birth. The declaration must be supported by a veterinarian’s certificate to the effect that the disease kidney worm does not exist in the locality where the pigs, were bred or raised, 'and that the agglutination test for brucellosis suis (abortion infection) was applied to the animals with negative results. FEE FOR INSPECTION OF PIGS. r T"’HE fee for the inspection of pigs slaughtered in inspection of pigs slaughtered in an abattoir or a freezing works as laid down by the Meat Regulations, 1940, is 4d. , per pig, 2d. of which has, since 1937, been set aside as a special fund to provide an instructional and advisory service for the development of the pig industry by means of the setting up of a National Pig Industry Council- and District Pig Councils representative of all interests in the trade. As the revenue from the 2d. per pig

as so set aside has not been sufficient to defray the annual expenditure of the pig councils in providing the instructional and advisory service, the amending regulations increase the inspection fee on pigs by Id. per pig in order that the revenue derived from the increase in the fee can be made available for the benefit of the pig industry: through the organisations already erred to. , ? FERTILISER CERTIFICATES. IN setting out in invoice certificates £ to be supplied to purchasers of superphosphate the percentage of soluble phosphoric acid present in the fertiliser, vendors are, by regulations under the Fertilisers Act, 1927, allowed a limit of error of 0.75 per cent, of the. whole bulk. As a substantial proportion of lower-grade phosphate is now being received for manufacture, the amending regulations increase as a temporary measure during the continuance of the present war the limit of error in respect of the certified percentage of soluble phosphoric acid present* in superphosphate to 1.15 per cent., and also make a proportionate increase in the limits of error in respect of the percentage of soluble and insoluble phosphoric acid in compound manures containing superphosphate.