PRESIDENT'S REPORT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 157, 8 May 1940, Page 5

PRESIDENT'S REPORT

BAY OF PLENTY DISTRICT PIG COUNCIL NECESSITY OF INCREASING PRODUCTION Following is the report tabled iby the president, Mr D. S. Ross, at the annual meeting of the Bay of Plenty District Pig Council* held in Wha-» katane:— "T?ie annual report this year can be very brief as. periodical reports have been sent out during the year covering the work and major activities of your Council and can be! read in conjunction with this. The members of your executive have met regularly during the yeair and our instructional work is still considered of paramount importance for this district. During the year a very instructive and educational competition* was arranged by Messrs W. and R. Fletcher (N.Z.) Ltd. and a Pig Marketing Association competition; j is noAv in progress. It is to be re'gretted that the majority of meirtt-" | bers do not desire full value from these competitions on account ofl our distance from the freezing works and they are not able to attend the hook judging which is the acid test, but nevertheless special value is attached to such competi-* tions for those who are fortunate enough to be present. j j Forty-three Clubs in District. j The Sow r Indemnity policy has | again proved very valuable to some | clubs which had the misfortune to lose sows. It has been revised an<l will come up for consideration again at the annual meeting in the light of past experience. We have now 43 clubs and 511 members. Two clubs have ceased to function during,the year but I would appeal to all clubs to do their utmost to function even if members requirements as far as pigs are concerned have been provided for in the meantime. A number of clubs are still re* quiring stock. During the year we have had vis-* its from Mr H. M. Peirson, Extension Officer to the Department and some very valuable lectures and demonstrations resulted. The films and lantern slides of the Department of Agriculture are a definite asset to the movement. Field days have been held fnj many districts with gratifying results. Value of Club Movement. Recently our supervisor acting, on instructions from your Council has been compiling some very valuable and interesting information on our Club Movement and this -will ,be presented at our annual meeting. It is obvious from figures already available that the Club Movement has so far been an unqualified success. The value of the Club Movement also has been so far referred to by the judge in his report on farms for the Aliuwhenua Cup. The need for increasing pig production is still an urgent necessity for this has been emphasised all through the year and I cannot at this time over-estimate the value of sound planning to bring this about. It is still necessary to turn as many porkers into baconers as. possible. The Imperial Government has asked for this and every producer of pig meats will do his utmost to achieve this end. Cheaper barley than has been in this country for many years is avail able and full advantage should be taken of this feed. A baconer *neecl now be only 101 pounds dressed, weight so that if the last few pounds are put on porkers to carry then* to this weight at no profit or rven a slight loss to the individual by feeding heavily with grain at this* time of the year, a greatly appre-* ciated National service is done. The balance sheet discloses a sat~ isfactory position. In conclusion I thank all those* who have assisted and supported . the movement during the past year.

Higher Farm Production. On the recommendation of its lands committee the annual conference of the New Zealand Rc-y turned Soldiers' Association resolved that in the investigation an# use of manpower of the Dominion, provision should be made to ensured that adequate, efficient and intelligent farm labour be made available for the national effort for increased production during the war. It was decided that the association's executive should confer with farmers* j organisations to assist in- effect be-* ing given to the resolution.