Premium on Porkers

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 81, Issue 1, 15 July 1950, Page 23

Premium on Porkers

THE announcement by the MinJL ister of Agriculture of the adjustment of the official pig-meat price schedule to provide for a premium of Id. per pound on porker-weight carcasses was the outcome of negotiations initiated by the National Pig Industry Council. The policy underlying this decision and the adjustments in the production system which it is hoped it will produce are dealt with in this article by A. Longwill, Superintendent of the Pig Industry, Department of Agriculture, Wellington.

FOR the first time since 1941, when a policy of increasing baconer production for export was embarked upon as part of the war effort and a premium for baconer-weight carcasses was instituted, the situation has changed and an incentive to farmers to produce a higher proportion of porkers has been provided by the payment of a premium on porker-weight pigs. The premium in favour of porkers, which operated from May 15, is ■ Id. per pound throughout .as against the corresponding grade in baconer-weight pigs. What is the reason for this change of policy in regard to pig meat and how best can • its objectives be achieved? Basis of Policy Before the war, when New Zealand’s pig production was about 1,000,000 carcasses, porkers accounted for 600,000 carcasses and baconers for 400,000. The premium in favour of

porkers under free marketing conditions was usually about id. per pound, and under these conditions producers found it financially attractive and convenient, under a feeding system involving dairy by-products, to turn more than half the total pigs off as porkers. In pre-war years New Zealand exported up to 30,000 tons of pig meat annually, porker and baconer weights accounting for almost equal shares of the total tonnage. However, the porkers suited the highest-price markets of London and the south of England much more nearly than did the baconer carcasses, which were used mainly in Scotland and the north of England. The goodwill built up on the Home market by New Zealand dairy-fed porkers was such that it can be of considerable importance in any effort to rebuild exports on a sound basis.

That this is necessary is indicated very clearly by recent export figures. New Zealand’s pig-meat exports last year were only 8841 tons, 5749 tons of baconers and 2227 tons of porkers, together with 865 tons of cuts. Most of the baconers were heavy, overfat pigs judged by normal market standards. The average weight of the porkers also tended to be heavier than that normally in greatest demand. It must be remembered that the acute fat shortage in Britain has been largely overcome and the consumer cannot be expected to pay 2s. or more per pound for pig meat which is more than half fat when cooking fats can be bought for Bd. per pound. The result must be that the consumer will become more selective, particularly as far as degree of fatness is concerned. All countries supplying the market are becoming more conscious of this, and those which take the first steps to supply what will be taken up most readily will reap their reward. The overfat baconers exported at present are only harming New Zealand’s reputation for pig meats on the Home market. Porkers do not, on the whole, have the same tendency to overfatness as baconers. However, though porkers are likely to be of acceptable quality the quantity being exported is exceedingly small and British people are seldom able to buy pork. The average annual consumption of fresh pork has fallen to lib. per head, or less than a tenth of pre-war consumption. It is estimated that Britain will have sufficient bacon by 1952 and, as the quality of New Zealand supplies is not, on the whole, as good as that from the other supplying countries, it 'is obvious that it is wisest for New Zealand, as far as the export market is concerned, to concentrate on porker production. Rebuilding the Market As pork is a fresh meat, the market for it is not likely to be saturated as early as the bacon market, and more time is therefore available to re-estab-lish a market for porkers. To do this

there are three fundamental requirements: — 1. Consistently , high quality in relation to price. 2. Quantity sufficiently substantial to interest the bulk or wholesale buyer. 3. Regularity of supply. The quality of New Zealand pork in the past earned the goodwill of the British consumer, but an effective grading system giving incentive to the production of the best-quality carcasses finished at the most desirable weights (70 to 901 b.) is necessary to improve present quality and preserve goodwill. In regard to price there is little to fear, because New Zealand pork is still the cheapest that Britain can buy. In view of reports that lack of purchasing power threatens to -curtail increased consumption of meat in Britain, pig producers in New Zealand may be thankful that the price they have received for pig meat has enabled it to go into consumption without having to be subsidised by the British Government. Withdrawal of subsidies would mean that countries whose costs have risen so that they cannot produce pork at a price at which it will be consumed will find great difficulty in competing on the British market until their cost structure is adjusted. The quantity, of pork available for export must be increased quickly if sufficient is to be forthcoming to interest buyers once the “buyers’ market” for pork returns. This is at once evident if the figures already quoted, showing the decline in exports since the prewar period, are studied. That exports of pork can be increased quickly without decreasing the total weight of .baconer carcasses produced will be shown later. What is required is for producers to take the long-term view regarding future market prospects and to be willing to organise and work for their own future security.

Continuity of supply to the British pork market can be achieved by dovetailing frozen-pork supplies with fluetuations in local fresh-pork supplies, Traditionally, British people did not eat pork “when there was no R in the month”; that is, in the warmer months, However, just before the war New Zealand lean, dairy-fed pork had broken down tradition and was actu-

ally going into consumption during the whole 12 months. This can be achieved again. It does not mean that pork killings must be uniform throughout the year, and the fact that New Zealand pork exports must be frozen may be regarded as an advantage. Normal fluctuations in supplies of pig foods largely dictate the level of killings throughout the year, and the proportion of baconers to porkers killed is a result of the interaction of the number of sows farrowed, the dates of farrowing, and the quantity of dairy byproducts available throughout the season. Implications of Policy Under a price schedule which provided a uniform rate per pound for all pigs from 60 to 1751 b. dressed weight there was an incentive to reduce sow numbers to a minimum, to produce fewer pigs, and to take these to as high a weight as practicable. The basis of payment, coupled with scarcity of materials for building and shortage of labour, led many farmers to dispose of sows and buy just sufficient pigs to cope with the surplus skimmed milk or at least such a proportion of it as to reduce its “nuisance value” to the minimum. Prices of weaners and stores reached record figures in spring and little real profit could have been made out of bought-in pigs if losses and labour costs were taken into consideration, even if they were taken to top weights. Besides ruining quality the fattening of bought-in pigs has resulted in inefficient use of the feed

supply and a fall in the sow population to a critically low point. More Sows the First Step Breeding sows, at 68,300, at present are at the lowest point they have been since just before the depression of the early 1930’5. Although food supplies have shrunk, the present number of sows, under existing management, is inadequate to supply the number of pigs required to cope effectively with the spring flush of dairy by-products. Surplus food may be simply tipped down the drain or waste may take the less-obvious form of over-feeding, which, if it does not actually undermine the health of the pigs and cause losses, produces overfat pigs that in normal times are not wanted. If the policy of encouraging pork production is to succeed, it is obvious that to deal with the flush of dairy by-products effectively more pigs must be kept. This can be achieved by better use of the existing number of sows, by an increase in the number of sows, or by a combination of the two. Provided the necessary accommodation for farrowing is made available, an increase in sow numbers will provide the quickest means of increasing pig" numbers. An increase of 10 per cent, in the number of breeding sows each year for the next 3 years at least should be the minimum aimed at. The soundest policy for the individual farmer usually is to breed all his own requirements. . Where skimmed milk is available the farmer should aim to keep 1 sow for every 10 cows or where whey is available 1 sow for every 20 cows. Baconers in Summer: Porkers in Autumn The first result of having a larger number of pigs in spring should be that more baconers, but- of lighter in-

dividual weights than are common today, should be produced. As long as there is adequate milk or whey most of the pigs should still be taken on to baconer weights. Instead of taking these to the top weights which have become common in recent years, with unfortunate repercussions on quality, farmers should recognise that the trade is becoming more selective and should plan to finish baconers at between 200 and 2201 b. liveweight (150 to 1601 b. dressed weight). Such pigs as have to be finished as porkers during spring or the flush period should be sorted out on type, and the shorter, earlier-maturing type pigs sent away as porkers, preferably at 70 to 901 b. When food supplies are falling off in autumn most of the pigs will naturally be finished at porker weights. It is good farm practice to build up reserves of feed for the herd in case of drought, and the same applies to feed for pigs. If this is done there should be no difficulty in getting the second-litter pigs finished as porkers in the weight range already mentioned. The aim of getting two litters away from each sow within the one dairying season can be achieved best by adjusting farrowing dates carefully to fit in with the feed supply. To do this sows should farrow in May-June and again in November-December. At this stage farmers should plan to have an extra sow mated as soon as possible for November farrowing. The sow should be selected on the basis of knowledge of the prolificacy and mothering and milking ability of the strain from which she comes, as well as of growth rate and carcass type. If such information is not available, it would be advisable to save a gilt from the best sow in the herd, provided this does not mean she has to be mated to her own sire. This will give an extra litter of porkers in the season and start the breeding cycle at the

right time .so that the supply of pigs for the following spring should be more adequate. Adequate Housing Many farmers farrow sows in July and August when weather is usually far worse than it is in May and June.. As most losses in pigs occur at or or shortly after farrowing, early winter farrowing is preferable if only because better weather is likely to beexperienced then than later. However, suckers and weaners must be housed: during, cold and wet weather. Farrowing houses with concrete control yards, attached and facilities for a run-out on. grass when this is dry are necessary to get the best results from winter farrowing. Undoubtedly ■ many losses, occur (probably a quarter of all pigsborn in winter die) which could beavoided if better control was possible at farrowing time and a little extracare was taken at that time. That it. is worth while is shown by the results obtained in many cases where a change-over to earlier winter farrowing has been made or where the importance of extra care at farrowing has always been appreciated. Higher Production of Porkers A policy of producing a higher proportion of porkers provides a moreflexible system of production which fitsthe dairy by-product feeding system admirably. It must be emphasised that what is sought is not a change toporker production exclusively, or even at this stage predominantly, but the restoring of porker killings to a figure approaching parity with baconer killings. This policy should provide the most profitable basis for the use of dairy by-products as pig. feed. The steps necessary to implement the plan are as follows: — 1. Increased home breeding. 2. Very careful selection of breeding sows; get two litters from each sow each year. 3. Keep at least 1 sow to 10 cows if skimmed milk is being used and 1 sow to 20 cows if whey is being fed. 4. Farrow ' sows in May- and. November-December. 5. Accommodation must be adequate, and if necessary increased, with special reference to winter farrowing quarters. 6. As far as is practicable provision must be made by the saving of homegrown crops, by preserving curd, or by buying in food to ensure that the-food-supply position is satisfactory at all times. 7. Use meals for sows and young pigs, not for finishing, except in an emergency to get pigs over the 601 b. mark. 8. Winter-born pigs will require concentrates until the milk supply is adequate, but will still be cheaper than bought-in pigs; most will go off . as baconers during the flush. If all winter-born pigs cannot be taken to baconer weight (about 1501 b.), it may pay to pick out the porker types at the right weight (70 to 901 b. carcass weight) for sale in spring. Produce as few pigs of intermediate weights (100 to 1301 b.) as possible. 9. As the market is becoming progressively more selective, the breeding and feeding aspects of producing topquality carcasses must be kept in view.